Donal Hickey: Do try to avoid making pour decisions

Fats, oils and greases (FOGs) should never go down the kitchen sink. Hot fats cool quickly inside pipes causing hardened blockages in the plumbing

Gina and Karol Daly with son Gene and puppy Bob, aka The Daly Dish, highlight just how simple it is to prevent costly blockages and protect Ireland’s wastewater network. They want to remind everyone that leftover Fats, Oils and Greases (FOGs) should never go down the sink. Instead, let them cool, gather them in a suitable container and stick them in the bin. Picture: Marc O'Sullivan

More than one million turkeys, and probably the same amount of hams — vastly outnumbered, of course, by all those delicious desserts and treats — will be eaten in Ireland at Christmas.

Unquestionably, sending fat-rich foods 'down the hatch' is a popular activity at this time of year, but another kind of fat is often overlooked… that which, literally, goes down the drain.

Clean Coasts and Uisce Eireann (UÉ) are appealing to home cooks, and festive feast-makers to think before they pour. In a season of roasts, gravies and indulgent goodies, the message is that fats, oils and greases (FOGs) should never go down the kitchen sink.

Hot fats cool quickly inside pipes. This causes hardened blockages in the plumbing, overwhelms wastewater systems and contributes to pollution in rivers, beaches and coastal areas.

Also, it must be pointed out, internal plumbing, and connections to public sewers inside private property, are a householder’s responsibility.

Every Christmas, there’s a rise in blockages caused by what’s left down the sink and Jonathan Deane, a senior UE manager, has a simple message: “Keep FOGs out of the sink. Cool them, collect them and bin them. It’s a small habit with a big impact, especially during the busiest time of year for our wastewater network.”

Many people use air fryers which can collect grease at the bottom of the basket after cooking. Blogger and cook book author, Gina Daly, deals with grease in this way: “I always let it cool, wipe it out with kitchen paper and pop the paper in the bin before washing the basket. It only takes a minute, and it helps keep your drains, and Ireland’s drains, completely FOG-free.”

It’s a message that’s slowly getting through. A national survey shows some improvement in how people dispose of these fats, with fewer households pouring them down the sink, down from 44%, in 2018, to 36%, in 2024. However, one-third of people continue the habit, meaning thousands of blockages have to be cleared annually.

When FOGs combine with wipes, hair and other household waste, they form 'fatbergs': large masses that can block drains, damage infrastructure and contribute to local flooding and environmental harm. This, of course, is a year-round problem, only worse at Christmas.

Last September, UE had to deal with issues in County Kildare after blockages caused by cooking fats in Leixlip, Celbridge and Maynooth. Similarly, a large amount of business waste, including rubble, had to be removed from sewage systems after incorrect disposal.

The subsequent appeal to businesses and residents was to 'Think Before You Pour' and to dispose of trade effluent and other products correctly.