Published: 13/12/2016
Copeland Council is urging people to help protect our seawaters during this festive season.
The council is supporting the #Binit4Beaches campaign, which encourages people to bin their cooking fat instead of pouring it down the sink in the run up to Christmas.
Putting leftover fat down the sink blocks drains and floods sewers - an expensive problem for both the householder and the water company. Even with soap and hot water, grease sticks to and hardens on sewage pipes, damaging the system.
Copeland's portfolio holder for customers and communities, Coun Dave Banks, said: "It's surprising how much fat we put down the sink - and what damage it does. Blocked drains eventually pollute or land, rivers and seas so it's worth taking the extra time to make sure it goes in the bin."
Each household pours around 14lbs of cooking fats, oils and grease down the sink every year - equivalent to 25 packs of butter. Clogged pipes can cause untreated sewage to back up and run into homes and streets as well as into the sea or on beaches.
Residents are advised to scrape excess grease off all pans, use a sink strainer to catch large chunks of food and #binit4beaches.
