Clean Coasts and Uisce Éireann have teamed up to encourage everyone cooking or cleaning up this Christmas to “think before you pour” when it comes to fats, oils and greases.
Both Clean Coasts and Uisce Éireann have warned the public about ‘fatbergs’, caused when fats oils and greases harden in pipes creating giant masses of waste that clog sewers.
Uisce Éireann clears over 2,000 blockages from the wastewater network every month – including fatbergs.
It can cause expensive blockages in household plumbing and wastewater network, while also having large impacts on the environment.
Clean Coasts, an organisation made up of thousands of volunteers, have warned of the wastewater networks leading to sewage overflows that can pollute rivers, beaches, and oceans.
Joining forces with TV presenter and food lover, Cassie Stokes, both Uisce Éireann and Clean Coasts have reminded everyone enjoying the festivities to scrape plates and wipe pots and pans before washing them, and use a sink strainer to collect any smaller food scraps.
It has been advised to collect fats, oils and greases in a heatproof container, let them cool, and then dispose of them in the bin.
A 2024 survey by Uisce Éireann shows that the percentage of respondents pouring damaging items down the sink has dropped from 50% in 2018 to 40% in 2024.
However, the results also show that 36% still dispose of fats, oils and greases regularly down the sink, and 57% of respondents under the age of 35 still dispose of the potential pipe blockers down the sink on a regular basis.
Wastewater regional operations senior manager at Uisce Éireann Mary Hussey said: “This Christmas, let’s reduce the number of blockages that lead to wastewater backups, sewage overflows, and environmental pollution.
“We all have a role to play in protecting our homes, our communities, and our beautiful natural spaces. So, please, let’s keep our kitchen sinks fat-free – and remember to ‘Think Before You Pour.’”