People have been urged not to pour fats and oils from the Christmas turkey roast down the drain this festive season.
Nearly 60% of Irish people recently surveyed admitted to pouring fats, oils, and greases (FOGs) down the sink.
FOGs start off as liquid when poured but can cause blockages in the pipes once they cool down.
This can even lead to sewage overflows that can damage the environment, Irish Water and Clean Coasts warn.
Additionally, when combined with wipes and other sanitary items that shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet, fatbergs can form.
Many people often dump FOGs, gravy, and other sauces down the kitchen drain along with leftover food and scrapings from plates, a survey by Behaviour and Attitudes on behalf of the Think Before You Pour Campaign found.
Tom Cuddy, Irish Water said, “We have cleared almost 8,000 reported sewer blockages already this year caused by FOGs being poured down the kitchen sink combined with inappropriate items such as baby wipes being flushed down the toilet.
“Thousands of other blockages were removed in the course of planned works on the network. This demonstrates the size and scale of the challenge we face to keep the sewer network blockage free.
“Our message is simple. This Christmas we want to remind the public not to use their kitchen sink as a bin.
“‘Think before you pour’ and use a GunkPot or a similar container to collect FOGs and help to prevent pipe blockages and protect the marine environment.”
