Don’t make ‘pour’ decisions this Christmas - bin it before you clog it

This Christmas, Uisce Éireann and Clean Coasts are once again calling on home cooks, kitchen experimenters and festive feast-makers across Ireland to Think Before You Pour. As households prepare for another season of indulgent roasts, gravies and treats, the campaign reminds everyone that leftover Fats, Oils and Greases (FOGs) should never go down the sink.

Instead, the message is clear: Don’t make pour decisions – bin it before you clog it!

This year, Uisce Éireann and Clean Coasts have partnered with food-loving couple Gina and Karol Daly, aka The Daly Dish, to highlight just how simple it is to prevent costly blockages and protect Ireland’s wastewater network. While hot fats may look harmless, they cool quickly inside pipes, causing hardened blockages that can clog plumbing, overwhelm wastewater systems and contribute to pollution in rivers, beaches and coastal areas.

Gina Daly, The Daly Dish, said: “One thing we use constantly at home is our air fryer — and it surprises people how much grease collects at the bottom of the basket after cooking. It’s really important not to pour that liquid straight down the sink. I always let it cool, wipe it out with kitchen paper and pop the paper in the bin before washing the basket. It only takes a minute, and it helps keep your drains — and Ireland’s drains — completely FOG-free.”

The fix is straightforward: let FOGs cool, collect them in a container and place them in the bin. Scraping plates, wiping pans before washing and using a sink strainer also reduce the amount of food waste entering the kitchen drain.

A national survey shows improvement in how people dispose of FOGs, with fewer households pouring them down the sink (from 44% in 2018 to 36% in 2024). However, one-third of people continue the habit — meaning thousands of blockages still form each year.

When FOGs combine with wipes, hair and other household waste, they form fatbergs: large masses that can block drains, damage infrastructure and contribute to local flooding and environmental harm. Uisce Éireann clears thousands of blockages every year, many caused by FOG build-up.

Jonathan Deane, Uisce Éireann’s Wastewater Regional Operations & Maintenance Senior Manager added: “Every Christmas, we see a rise in blockages caused by fats, oils and greases entering the wastewater system.  We’re appealing to households to take one simple action that protects their home, their community and our environment: keep FOGs out of the sink. Cool them, collect them and bin them. It’s a small habit with a big impact — especially during the busiest time of year for our wastewater network.”

Patrick Cross, Think Before You Pour Campaign Officer at Clean Coasts, added: “FOGs might seem harmless, but once they reach pipes, they can cause serious disruption. By making a small change to how we handle leftover cooking fats this Christmas, we can prevent fatbergs, reduce pollution and keep Ireland’s rivers, beaches and coastal waters clean. It’s simple, it’s quick, and everyone can help.”

FOGs solidify quickly, and once they do, they create blockages that are costly, disruptive and harmful to the environment. By thinking before pouring, households can prevent issues at home and contribute to healthier waterways nationwide.

This festive season, Uisce Éireann and Clean Coasts encourage everyone to commit to one promise:

Think Before You Pour. Don’t Make Pour Decisions – bin it before you clog it!