Dispose of Thanksgiving Fat, Oil and Grease Properly: Ocean Safety Tips

SAN CLEMENTE, CA — Are you planning on frying your Thanksgiving turkey this year? What should be done with all of that fat, oil and grease?

"As the holidays approach, the City of San Clemente would like to remind home cooks not to put Fats, Oil, or Grease (F.O.G.) down the sink, drain or toilet," said public information officer Laura Ferguson. "When these substances are not properly disposed of, they end up clogging the sinks and drains, hardening and coating the inside of sewer pipes and eventually creating sewer overflows that can quickly pollute our coastal waters."

San Clemente offers several ocean-friendly ways to dispose of leftover cooking oils, no matter large or small.

Large Amounts of Cooking Oil:

• County of Orange Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center: If you have gallons of turkey-frying oils to dispose of, place the grease in a sealed, labeled container (don’t forget to save original containers during meal prep to make disposal easier later).
• You can then recycle up to 5 gallons at your local household hazardous waste collection center located at Prima Deshecha Landfill, 32250 La Pata Avenue, San Juan Capistrano.
• The Center is open Tuesday thru Saturday from 9am to 3pm, and closed on rainy days and holidays. Call (714) 834-6752 for more information.

Small Amounts of Cooking Oil:

• Trash Bin: When the cooking oils have cooled, mix the cooking oils with unscented
• kitty litter, sawdust or sand to solidify the oil, or scrape oils into a sealed container and place in the freezer for several hours. The hardened oils can then be placed in your trash cart.
• Organics Recycling: Small amounts may go into your green-waste cart if you can absorb the waste with paper towels or newspapers, or use a compostable bag to contain the grease.

Reuse: You can also store oil for later use.

• Oil can be kept for up to six months and reused for up to six hours of fry time. Strain the oil first, and then store in freezer.

For more information, please visit Environmental Services - San Clemente for more information.

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