Neven: ‘Think before you pour’

THE ‘Think Before You Pour’ campaign is partnering with celebrity chef and television personality, Neven Maguire to promote their current campaign. The campaign, operated by Clean Coasts in partnership with Irish Water, appeals to the public not to pour fats, oils and greases (FOGs) from the festive cooking down the kitchen sink.

FOGs may seem like liquid when poured but they cool as they travel along the pipes and can cause blockages in homes, businesses, the public sewer network and wastewater treatment plants, and can even lead to overflows of sewage that can damage the environment.

When FOGs combine with wipes and other sanitary items that shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet, fatbergs can form. Irish Water clears hundreds of blockages including fatbergs from the wastewater network every week.

Neven Maguire said: ‘Whether you’re the cook or the helper in the kitchen this Christmas, you can make a positive impact on the environment directly from your own home. My top tips to avoiding festive fatbergs are to collect all your used cooking oil and fats into a suitable container (or ‘gunkpot’) and allow this to solidify before throwing into the bin; always wipe and scrape plates and saucepans before washing and finally use a strainer in your kitchen sink, and empty into a suitable bin.’