Grease - how to dispose responsibly?

[veg4681]

The grease from can of tuna or roast meat especially fatty chicken, how do you dispose of them? I'm aware you're not really supposed to tip them down the sink as this can cause blockages at great expense to the water companies. I have been pouring them into the kitchen food waste bin before tipping in the compost. Can anyone tell me if what I'm doing is wrong. The grease are too liquid for the household waste for collection.

[seasprout]

I know my local water board provide fat traps for firms, i think they are like a wax cardboard box thingy. I'm sure if an individual house holder enquired they would be happy to provide info.

My company is Severn Trent.

Have a look on your water provider website, see if they do anything similar


ST, provide these to ST customers. Less Mess, Fat Trap, Fat Collector, Waste Oil Disposal, Grease Disposal,The Oilbin ,Waste Oil Collector, Waste Oil Collection, Eco Friendly Products, Eco Fat Disposal, Eco Fat Trap

Search fat trap on your providers site.

[vicky]

I used to put mine in the dog, sadly she was put to sleep recently, now I freeze the leftovers to into my dad's doggie waste disposal unit.
My neighbour takes her meat waste and leaves it in the field opposite for the foxes...controversial...

[Snadger]

I've seen some of the guys at the allotments using a mix of veg that were misshapen, blown sprouts, carrot fly eaten carrots, wormy turnips and tatties etc mixing them up with lard and cooking oil and 'moulding' them by putting them in buckets and letting them cool with a bit of rope stuck out the top.

These glorified fat balls are hung up in the chicken run for the chickens to peck at and they help get rid of the waste veggies and oil and the chooks love em!

[Alison]

You can do that for wild birds as well Snadger, unfortunately it only works with thicker fats like from a roast dinner etc, the oil with tuna is too thin. One simple solution is to buy tuna in spring water / brine so you don't have the problem, otherwise you're best putting it in a fat trap type container as mentioned above and throwing it in the bin. Landfill isn't ideal but it is the lesser of two evils when compared with the damage it does in sewers etc.

[kirsty b]

I have a doggie waste disposal unit too. Sometimes I'll pour fat into a bowl, keep in fridge and use it for roast potatoes.

[kirsty b]

I've seen some of the guys at the allotments using a mix of veg that were misshapen, blown sprouts, carrot fly eaten carrots, wormy turnips and tatties etc mixing them up with lard and cooking oil and 'moulding' them by putting them in buckets and letting them cool with a bit of rope stuck out the top.

These glorified fat balls are hung up in the chicken run for the chickens to peck at and they help get rid of the waste veggies and oil and the chooks love em!

Oooh, something to try for my girls methinks. Filed for future reference.

[Flummery]

I use tuna in brine, but soft fats such as that from roast chicken can be soaked into chopped or grated old bread and put on the bird table when it's cooled. (The fat, not the bird table!) The birds really apreciate it in this weather - we've just had a sprinkling of fine snow.

[Winged one]

One other idea for tuna in oil, is that if you are cooking something with the tuna in it that requires frying, use the oil from the tuna rather than fresh sunflower or olive oil, and you will get a little bit of extra tuna flavour for free. I use the oil when I am frying onions etc to add to tuna dishes and it just adds a little something extra without being overpowering at all (if I am making nasi goreng, especially, it is lovely).

As for other liquiidy oils/fats, I keep having big plans to make fat balls, but usually end up putting it into a milk carton, screwing the lid on well, and putting that into the general waste bin.

[Shortie]

Ooo never thought if that Winged One...... We usually get them in brine, but when we do get bits in oil that's a really good thought.

If you're not using it straight away, any idea how long it will keep in the fridge?

[veg4681]

One simple solution is to buy tuna in spring water / brine so you don't have the problem, otherwise you're best putting it in a fat trap type container as mentioned above and throwing it in the bin.

Errr...it's ideal but I don't like the taste of tuna in brine, taste a bit washed out. I'm a bit of spoilt brat who can't always do healty eating option.

soft fats such as that from roast chicken can be soaked into chopped or grated old bread and put on the bird table when it's cooled.

It's a good idea to use as something like fat ball but I don't buy bread for feeding birds unless I have leftover stale breads . Otherwise any scrap or leftover food that we don't eat (including fatty bits from raw/cooked meat but never chicken meat) get given to the birds. They didn't go for sweetcorn though and perhaps it wasn't cold enough.

One other idea for tuna in oil, is that if you are cooking something with the tuna in it that requires frying, use the oil from the tuna rather than fresh sunflower or olive oil, and you will get a little bit of extra tuna flavour for free. I use the oil when I am frying onions etc to add to tuna dishes and it just adds a little something extra without being overpowering at all (if I am making nasi goreng, especially, it is lovely).

As for other liquidy oils/fats, I keep having big plans to make fat balls, but usually end up putting it into a milk carton, screwing the lid on well, and putting that into the general waste bin.

I have done this before using the tuna oil for cooking but this is only possible if you're cooking the tuna for some pasta dish but we tend to eat mostly for salad. Also I've tried separating the oil from juice which doesn't always work and they go off and starts to smell if not used immediately . Perhaps best to freeze them as pasta flavouring oil . Funny you should say Nasi Goreng, I love them too with Kicap Manis?

[veg4681]

If you're not using it straight away, any idea how long it will keep in the fridge?

I think best to use as soon as possible for cooking (before they smell ) or else freeze them but otherwise they're lovely free oil.