Ready or not, the holiday season will soon be upon us. Thanksgiving is just a few days away and Christmas is right around the corner!
Many people turn off the oven and turn on their outdoor turkey fryers to cook their holiday birds. If you are deep frying your very first turkey, please look for safety precautions on the internet as this can be a dangerous venture!
Once the cooking is complete and dinner has been “gobbled” up, what can be done with your used cooking oil? When your cooking oil has been used to its maximum, it can be recycled. Be prepared to recycle your cooking oil by picking up free FOG (Fats, Oils, and Grease) Collection jugs from one of the exchange cages located at the Athens-Limestone Recycling Center, the KALB office, or the Athens Utilities Building on Wilkinson Street (employee entrance left of main entrance).
Place your used kitchen fats, oil, and grease, including the oil from your turkey fryer, in the container(s) and return them to the exchange cage. Be sure to take an empty collection jug home with you so you can continue to collect your kitchen FOGs.
The FOGs will be used by a Limestone County farmer to make biodiesel fuel to run his farm equipment, keeping all of the benefits of this program local.
Please keep all FOGs out of your drain pipes. It is a very expensive problem for homeowners and the Athens Wastewater Department when clogs occur. Every single clog, no matter where in the sewer lines it occurs, begins with fats, oils, and grease. The Athens Wastewater Department spends tens of thousands of dollars to unclog sewer lines…money that comes right out of our pockets in the way of higher sewer bills.
FOG will CLOG! Please Recycle all kitchen Fats, Oils, and Grease this holiday season.
Happy Thanksgiving!
By: Lynne Hart
