The City of Tulsa, in partnership with the Metropolitan Environmental Trust (The M.e.t.), will collect used cooking oils following the Thanksgiving holiday. This event will be held Saturday, Nov. 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Central M.e.t. Recycling Center, 3495 S. Sheridan Road.
Fats, oils, and grease aren’t just bad for arteries; they are bad for sewers, too. When cooking oils or greasy foods are disposed of in household drains or neighborhood storm drains, the fat, oil, and grease can clog sewer lines and cause damage in local rivers and streams. Such problems can occur any time of year but are particularly prevalent around the holidays, when people put leftover food scraps down the drain or incorrectly dispose of leftover cooking oil.
Eighty-eight percent of grease-related sanitary sewer overflows come from residential sources. The cost from cleaning up blocked sewer line and spilled sewage is passed on to utility rate payers. Grease-clogged lines can also result in costly plumbing bills; no one wants to incur those extra costs during the holidays.
Help to prevent costly home plumbing bills and sewer utility rate increases by recycling used cooking oils and collecting, scraping or wiping meat drippings and other greasy leftovers from your dishes into the trash, not down the drain.
Those who miss the cooking oil disposal event on Nov. 30 may bring oils to any M.e.t. recycling center at any time of the year or to the City of Tulsa’s Household Pollutant Collection Facility upon scheduled appointment. Visit www.metrecycle.com to find the nearest recycling center, or call (918) 591-4325 to make an appointment at the pollutant collection facility.