Most Metro 麻豆传媒映画residents know cooking grease shouldn鈥檛 be poured down the drain, but many are unaware that dairy products, salad dressings and margarine can also wreak havoc on the sewer system.
That was among the findings of recent focus group testing by Metro Vancouver, which is enhancing its 鈥榃ipe It, Green Bin It鈥� campaign to encourage residents to properly dispose of all fats, oils and grease (FOG) in their green bin, and not down the sink.
Fat-containing products create chemical reactions in the sewers, hardening and binding with other materials when washed down a drain, coagulating into blobs, or 鈥榝atbergs,鈥� which cause clogs and sewage overflows.
Metro 麻豆传媒映画and its member jurisdictions annually spend at least $2.7 million unclogging, repairing and replacing regional infrastructure impacted by FOG 鈥� not to mention the costly plumbing and restoration expenses that homeowners face when these blockages hit home.
鈥淲ith Thanksgiving and the busy holiday season around the corner, we hope residents will think twice about washing items like gravy, yogurt or leftover salad dressing down the drain,鈥� says Richard Stewart, Chair of Metro Vancouver鈥檚 Liquid Waste Committee. 鈥淚nstead, simply wipe it up or scrape it in your green bin 鈥撀� it鈥檚 easy, quick, and won鈥檛 cause problems in the sewer system.鈥�
Over the past year, Metro 麻豆传媒映画has worked with four municipalities who have identified grease 鈥渉otspot鈥� areas particularly hard hit by high levels of FOG. Operations staff have been monitoring grease levels at local pump stations in the cities of Coquitlam, Delta and Richmond as well as the Township of Langley since the fall of 2018.
鈥淭he local geography also plays a role when it comes to areas in the region that are more heavily impacted by FOG issues,鈥� added Stewart. 鈥淟ow-lying or flat municipalities such as Richmond and Delta tend to see the highest grease build up whereas areas on the North Shore often benefit from the pull of gravity that helps move grease through the sewer system more easily.鈥�
Starting today, 鈥�Wipe It, Green Bin It鈥� will reach residents through targeted advertising in settings where they purchase or think about food such as grocery stores, transit shelters, on lifestyle websites and on social media. A dedicated website 鈥� 鈥� provides a list of what can鈥檛 go down the drain, how to properly dispose of FOG, and details of recycling depots that accept larger quantities of grease and oil.
Nearly every home in Metro 麻豆传媒映画now has an organics recycling program that accepts small amounts of oil, fat and grease. Anyone with large volumes of oil from deep fryers is reminded to take the oil to specialized recycling depots. Visit to find out more about correct disposal for fats, oils and grease.
