Enjoy the Feast, Recycle the Grease

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When fats, oils, and grease enter our sewer systems, they solidify in the sewer pipes, mixing with non-flushable items (like wet wipes and shop rags) to create “fatbergs” (like the one pictured below) that block the sewer lines and cause costly and unsafe overflows into backyards, forests, and streams that can harm the environment and public health. These fatberg clogs can be extremely difficult for utility workers to remove. One reason clogs due to fats, oils, and grease are so frustrating for utility workers is because they are entirely avoidable.

There are a variety of ingredients that can contribute to Lynchburg’s fatbergs including: butter/lard, meat fats, grease, cooking oil, dairy products, waxes/petroleum lubricants, gravy/sauces, food scraps, icing, and salad dressing. Thankfully, fatbergs are entirely avoidable! To prevent our pipes from becoming clogged and causing costly environmental problems, simply place these ingredients in the trash instead of pouring down the drain.

Can lid and can to recycle grease

Interested in taking it one step further to make something good for the environment? Collect your leftover cooking oil, meat fats, grease, and butter/lard in a container with a lid (leftover sauce jars and cans work well), then bring it back to us to be recycled! The collected grease will then be recycled into an environmentally-friendly biofuel by our local partner, Darton Environmental!

How to Recycle

COOL

After cooking, cool the oil or grease until you can pour it into a sealable plastic or glass container. Other ingredients like gravy, waxes, icing, and salad dressing can’t be recycled into a biofuel, so continue to place those items in the trash and recycle the oil and grease!

CAN

Once the oil or grease is cool, pour it into a sealable container.

RECYCLE

When your container is full, recycle it at our grease recycling center located at the Lynchburg Regional Water Resource Recovery Facility, Lynchburg Parks & Rec Neighborhood Centers, and Templeton Center. You can pick up a new can lid when you drop off your grease!

Grease Recycling Drop Off Locations
Lynchburg Regional Water Resource Recovery Facility 2301 Concord Turnpike Lynchburg, VA Open Year Round 24/7	Bedford Regional Water Authority Administration Building 1723 Falling Creek Road Bedford, VA 8am to 5pm
Lynchburg Water Resources Administration Building 525 Taylor Street Lynchburg, VA 8am to 5pm	*Templeton Center 225 Wiggington Road Lynchburg, VA
*College Hill Community Center 811 Jackson Street Lynchburg, VA	*Fairview Community Center 3621 Campbell Avenue Lynchburg, VA
*Daniel's Hill Community Center 317 Norwood Street Lynchburg, VA	*Jefferson Park Community Center 405 York Street Lynchburg, VA
*Diamond Hill Community Center 1005 17th Street Lynchburg, VA	*Yoder Community Center 109 Jackson Street Lynchburg, VA
Bedford Regional Water Authority SML Water Treatment Facility 1500 Radford Church Road Moneta, VA Nov. 26 to Dec. 31 8:30am to 5pm	Bedford Christian Ministries 217 W Washington Street Bedford, VA
*Lynchburg Community Market 1219 Main Street Lynchburg, VA	*During open hours year round, hours may vary

Click the image of the poster below you want to download and post next to your sink!