What do I do with…?

Fats, Oils, and Grease

Why is F.O.G. waste a problem? When disposed of improperly (poured down a drain) fats, oils, and grease affect sewer pipes and sewer systems. These substances build up over time and can cause blockages. If sewer pipes become blocked they might overflow causing raw sewage to be spilled into unwanted areas like your home, city streets, or rivers.

Examples: Fats, ghee, lard, butter, canola oil, sesame oil, vegetable oil, olive oil, coconut oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, avocado oil, palm oil, corn oil, other nut and seed oils, cooking grease, fats from cooked meats, fryer grease, deep fry oil, cooking oil, yellow grease, brown grease, etc.

Reduce

• Try to cook with less fats, oils, and greases

• Air fry to bake instead of deep fry

Reuse

• Try out recipes that allow you to reuse your cooking grease or fats from previous meals

• Yellow grease (clean and uncontaminated) can be reused in animal feed or to make products like soaps, detergents, and cosmetics

Recycle

• Some service providers pick up from commercial kitchens and turn the collected FOG into biodiesel. Available services in Montana:

  • Baker Commodities

  • Full Circle BioFuels

  • Mountain West Renewables

• While composting FOG is not impossible, it usually slows down the process quite a bit. Currently, Missoula’s compost facility will not accept FOG.