Keep fats, oils, and grease out of the drain

Pouring fats, oils and grease down the drain causes clogs and sewer backups. Learn simple ways to safely dispose of them and protect your home, pipes and neighbourhood.

Common sources of fats, oils, or grease

Fats, oils, and grease come from everyday cooking. They include:

Meat drippings, bacon grease and lard
Cooking oil, butter and margarine
Sauces, spreads and salad dressings
High fat dairy products such as half-and-half and heavy cream
Food scraps

When fats, oils and grease are poured down any sink or toilet in your home, they cool, harden and stick to pipes. Over time, this buildup can lead to clogs, unpleasant odours and sewer backups, resulting in costly repairs for property owners across the city.

A man pouring grease from a frying pan into a jar.

How to dispose of fats, oils and grease

Here are some simple steps you can take at home to keep fats, oils and grease out of your pipes.

Scrape all food from pans and dishes into your green organics bin, before loading the dishwasher.
Wipe down greasy dishes, including sauces and dressings, with a paper towel instead of running under hot water.
Store excess cooking oil, bacon grease and frying oil in a sealed container to cool, before scraping into your green organics bin.

Don't

Don’t rinse greasy dishes with hot water and soap because it pushes grease into your pipes where it will solidify.
Don’t pour fats, oil or grease into your garbage disposal, toilet or sink, even in small amounts.
Don’t flush anything but toilet paper. Tissues, cotton swabs, dental floss and even wipes marked as flushable belong in the trash.

Unsure of what goes where when disposing food scraps and household items?

Check the City of Edmonton’s WasteWise app to learn more about what belongs in your bins, and what doesn’t.

Questions about fats, oils and grease

Let oil or grease cool, then scrape it into your green organics bin. For large amounts (over 1 litre), take it to a City of Edmonton Eco Station for safe disposal. Never pour oil or grease down the drain.

No. Even small amounts of oil or grease can build up inside your pipes, leading to clogs, sewer backups, and costly repairs. Always store excess oil or grease in a sealed container and dispose of it properly.

All drains in your home connect to the same sewer system. Flushing cooking oil down the toilet causes the same problems as pouring it down the sink.

When grease enters your plumbing, it cools and hardens, sticking to the pipe walls. Over time, it forms thick layers that trap food scraps and other debris, eventually blocking water flow. The result? A clogged kitchen sink, unpleasant odors, and even sewer backups that affect your home and neighborhood.

Expired cooking oils, butter, and dairy products should never go down the drain. Instead, scrape or pour them into your green organics bin. For large quantities of oil, visit a City of Edmonton Eco Station. This prevents clogs and protects the environment.

It’s a common myth that running hot water with dish soap makes pouring grease down the drain safe, but it’s not. Here's why:

Grease may look liquid at first, but it cools quickly and hardens inside your pipes, so it doesn’t get far before sticking and causing clogs.
Hot tap water isn’t hot enough to keep grease liquid all the way through your plumbing.
Dish soap only helps for a short time. Once the mix cools farther down the pipe, the grease hardens again and traps food scraps.

Working together to protect our pipes and environment

Keeping fats, oils and grease out of the drain helps prevent sewer clogs, protects your home and keeps Edmonton’s sewer system flowing smoothly. It can help reduce maintenance costs for everyone.

Fats, oils and grease cause real damage

EPCOR crews respond to over 100 sewer blockages each year, and 70 per cent of those blockages are caused by grease buildup. We clean thousands of pipes annually to prevent backups, but we need your help to keep the system flowing.

Everyone’s drain is connected, even condos and apartments

Whether you live in a house, condo or apartment, your drain connects to the same sewer system. What goes down your sink affects your neighbours too.

Large amounts of oil belong at Eco Stations

If you have more than 1 litre of used cooking oil, take it to a City of Edmonton Eco Station. Large amounts can spill during garbage collection and harm the environment.

Grease-free drains protect your home and community

Fats, oils and grease clogs pipes, causes backups and leads to expensive repairs. Keeping them out of the drain helps protect your home, your neighbourhood and our shared environment.

Keep fats, oils, and grease out of the drain

Common sources of fats, oils, or grease

How to dispose of fats, oils and grease

Questions about fats, oils and grease

How do I dispose of cooking oil, bacon grease, and other fats?

Can I pour small amounts of oil or grease down the sink or toilet?

What happens if grease goes down the drain?

How should I dispose of expired oils or dairy products?

Can I pour grease down the drain if I use hot water and dish soap?

Working together to protect our pipes and environment

Fats, oils and grease cause real damage

Everyone’s drain is connected, even condos and apartments

Large amounts of oil belong at Eco Stations

Grease-free drains protect your home and community