Sanitation officials offer tips to get rid of grease on ‘Brown Friday’
Plumbers call it “Brown Friday.” The day after Thanksgiving is one of their busiest for sewage backups, and they spend plenty of time unclogging pipes filled with leftover oil and scraps, according to Mike Martin, chief of pretreatment and pollution prevention at the Hampton Roads Sanitation District.
He and other sanitation officials are urging Hampton Roads residents to properly dispose of leftovers during the holiday to avoid problems caused by FOG — fat, oil and grease. That includes meat fats, dressings, lard, batters, butter and more.
When liquid grease goes down the drain, it cools and adheres to the side of the pipes, reducing the width of the pipe and restricting water flow, Martin said in a news release. That leads to other household waste not being able to move through, prompting sewage backups or overflow into the street.
Those who need plumbing services on Brown Friday can expect to pay more due to the surge in demand, he said.
Sewer overflows also pose an environmental threat, contaminating local waterways and potentially harming wildlife.
So what to do instead? Here’s what experts recommend:
Pour standing grease while it’s hot into an empty can. Let it harden in the freezer and then toss the can in the trash.
Allow grease leftover from foods — such as bacon or hamburgers — to cool in the pan. Then use a paper towel to swipe and toss it in the trash.
Scrape any leftovers on dishes into the trash or compost bin before washing.
Mix cat litter with frying oil — if it’s about a quart or more — before throwing it in the trash. The litter will partially absorb the oil, helping solidify it and making it less messy throughout the waste process.
Larger quantities of FOG — like what you’d use to deep-fry a turkey — can be dropped off at collection sites in most Hampton Roads localities, usually capped at about five gallons, said Rebekah Eastep with AskHRGreen.org, a local environmental education initiative.
Eastep recommends contacting cities for details about timing or special rules before showing up with the oil at the available sites:
Norfolk: Division of Waste Management, 1176 Pineridge Road; SPSA Transfer Station, 3136 Woodland Ave.
Virginia Beach: Landfill & Resource Recovery Center, 1989 Jake Sears Road
Chesapeake: SPSA Transfer Station, 901 Hollowell Lane
Franklin: SPSA Transfer Station, 30521 General Thomas Highway
Newport News: Household Hazardous Waste Facility, 550 Atkinson Way
Suffolk: Regional Landfill, 1 Bob Foeller Drive
Gloucester County: Guinea Road Convenience Center, 7599 Guinea Road, Hayes
Isle of Wight County: 13191 Foursquare Road, Smithfield
Williamsburg: Tewning Road Convenience Center, 117 Tewning Road
You can find more information on the AskHRGreen website.
Restaurant owners are also encouraged to maintain and inspect grease control devices, correctly dispose of fryer grease and cover their collection containers.