Properly Dispose Of Turkey, Trimmings After Your Holiday Feast

MURRIETA, CA — It's never too early to plan how to clean up after big family meals in an environmentally friendly way, according to the Eastern Municipal Water District.

All family chefs who prepare festive meals for large gatherings during the holidays, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, should avoid pouring cooking grease and other oils down the kitchen sink, they said.

The water district urged families to find alternate ways of getting rid of leftovers and greasy residue instead of pouring it down disposal drains.

"Cooking dish and dinner plate slop can permanently damage dishwashers and sinks, causing sewage lines to rupture and leading to spills in the street that are expensive to repair," the EMWD said in a recent statement. It happens every year, they

A better option?

The agency recommended that residual fats, oils and grease should be disposed of by pouring them into metal containers or cans and tossed into trash bins. In addition, leftovers and food waste that may contain a high amount of butter, fat or grease, should also be disposed of in trash receptacles instead of shoving them down the sink.

Your post-holiday clean-up crew should first wipe all greasy residue off of pots, pans and dishes before washing them in the sink or dishwasher. Paper towels covered in greasy food waste can be disposed of in your organic container bin, according to Waste Management.

The EMWD also asked customers not to put eggshells, coffee grounds and non-organic materials into drains because they, too, can cause damage.

Compost what you can, and discard the rest in a proper way to keep the sewers clear.

That is also on point with the current strategies of Waste Management when it comes to collecting organic waste.

Waste Management, CR&R and other waste collection companies are following the new Mandatory Recycling Laws in California to avoid methane release in landfills. Though organics recycling is geared specifically toward businesses and multi-family housing units, though everyone can follow the same rules to keep the landfills running smoothly.

Organics Recycling is for yard waste and food waste, as well as food-soiled paper products, according to AB 1826. Yard waste includes leaves, small branches, grass, untreated wood, wood chips, cut flowers and garden trimmings, and most residents are used to disposing of those items in the organic recycling cans. Now added is the food waste - discarded vegetables, fruits, meats, chees and bones. Along with that, is food-soiled paper products, including napkins, paper towels, coffee filters, paper cups and plates, greasy pizza boxes and waxed cardboard food trays.

More information on the proper disposal of food from the water district's point of view is available at www.emwd.org/SewerSmart.

According to a report from Cal Matters, another option is to divert food waste toward renewable fuel, in a guest commentary by Andrew Benedek.

"To most people, the obvious source of methane emissions is oil and gas production. But another part of the problem is right under our noses: our garbage," Benedek reports in the article. "But as someone who has dedicated my career to developing technologies to support environmental sustainability, I can assure you that diverting waste and using it for fuel is a legitimate climate solution."

EMWD Board President Phil Paule discussed the responsibility of everyone in keeping the wastewater system flowing.

"If we all do our part and responsibly dispose of fats, oils and grease, we can help protect our wastewater collection system and keep the sewers flowing," Paule said. "EMWD appreciates the partnership of all its customers, not just during the holiday season, but every day throughout the year."