Fats, Oils and Grease (aka FOG)

Grease collects in your pipes whenever you pour used cooking oil, grease and fat down the drain.

Why should I care about FOG?

Residential households contribute greatly to the build-up of FOG in the sewer lines because of the amount of grease washed into the plumbing system, usually through the kitchen sink. The results can be:

• raw sewage overflowing in your home or neighbor’s home;
• expensive and unpleasant cleanups;
• raw sewage flowing into parks, yards, streets;
• potential contact with disease-causing organisms;
• damage to individual on-site septic systems; and
• damage to public sewer systems, leading to increased operation and maintenance costs and higher sewer bills for customers.

How do I keep it out of my lines?

Homeowners can help defeat FOG by following the tips in this video. The simple steps below also show what homeowners can do to avoid putting FOG down the drain.

Additional information on the City of Springfield FOG program is available here.  *Select Helpful Resources, then Fats, Oils & Grease FOG

Can used cooking oil be recycled?

Not sure how to responsibly dispose of the five gallons of cooking oil you will use to deep-fry that Thanksgiving turkey? The Clark County Recycling Center now accepts used cooking oil at no charge.

This service is available to Clark County residents (no businesses, farms, schools, or governmental agencies) during normal office hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Only cooking oil and associated greases are accepted. Other kinds of oils will not be accepted. Meat pieces and other food items should be strained out of the used oil.

Normally, residents are advised to put used oils in containers to dispose in the trash. Being able to recycle the oil helps keep a usable material out of pipes and landfills.

G.A. Wintzer and Son Co., based in Wapakoneta, will take the cooking oil and use it in making animal feeds.

For information about recycling cooking oil at the Recycling Center, call 937-521-2022.