Christmas 'fatberg' warning for Fylde coast

Avoid blocked drains and a fatberg on the Fylde coast this Christmas.
Help avoid a fatberg this ChristmasHelp avoid a fatberg this Christmas
Help avoid a fatberg this Christmas

Beach cleaners on the Fylde coast are asking everyone to do their bit to keep the beaches clean this Christmas by binning their used cooking fats and oil rather than pouring them down the sink.

If you pour leftover fat from cooking down the sink, even with hot water and washing up liquid, it sets hard in the cold pipes and mixes with other unmentionables flushed down the loo.

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As well as causing problems at home, clogged sewer pipes that take waste water away can cause untreated sewage to run into homes, gardens, streets and even end up in rivers, the sea and on beaches.

Each household pours around 14lbs of cooking fats, oils and grease down the sink every year – equivalent to 25 packs of butter. United Utilities attends a blocked drain every 15 minutes.

Protecting our waste pipes from getting blocked and polluting our rivers and seas means everyone doing their bit to help keep them clear.

LOVEmyBEACH, the North West campaign for cleaner beaches and seas has some top tips to avoid blockages:

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- Scrape leftover fat from roasting trays and pans into a heat resistant container then recycle or bin it when cooled

- Wipe out grease left in pans with kitchen roll and bin it

- Use a sink strainer to catch food scraps and bin

- For larger quantities of cooking oils, contact your local council who’ll let you know if they can be recycled

Fylde LOVEmyBEACH officer Emma Whitlock said: “Everyone loves the beach and wants to help keep them clean, but most people don’t know they can help do this from their home by binning used cooking fats and keeping the pipes clear. Even if you can’t come out on a beach clean you can do this small action that will make a big difference, so please #binit4beaches this Christmas!”