Even a small amount of fats, oils and grease clog pipes, sewer backups and other plumbing problems. 

Grease in the drain can also attract roaches and other pests.

Pima
County Regional Wastewater Reclamation engineers are reminding people not to just wash it all down, but instead, to save it
in an airtight container and bring it to the 19th annual Grease
Collection and Recycling Event on Jan. 6.

This byproduct of holiday cooking can be dropped off at any of six
collection locations across Pima County that day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“Keeping grease out of the sewer system is a win-win for everyone,” said Steve King, permit and regulatory compliance officer at the regional wastewater reclamation department.

“This event serves as a yearly reminder to save and recycle your grease, rather than letting it go down the drain or flushing it,” King said.

This year’s drop-off locations are:

• O’Rielly Chevrolet, 6160 E. Broadway Blvd.
• Kino Sports Complex, 2500 E. Ajo Way
• Pima Community College, West Campus, 2202 W. Anklam Road
• Pima Community College, Northwest Campus, 7600 N. Shannon Road
• Pima Community College, Desert Vista Campus, 5901 S. Calle Santa Cruz
• Sahuarita Town Hall Complex, 375 W. Sahuarita Center Way

Grease may be brought in any type of container. Motor oil and other hazardous materials are not accepted.

The collected grease is recycled into clean-burning biodiesel fuel by Grecycle, a locally owned company began in 2005 as the first company in Arizona to receive EPA approval on its biodiesel.

RWRD also offers a year-round grease recycling drop-off site at the Agua Nueva Water Reclamation Facility, 2947 W. Calle Agua Nueva, from from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m, Monday through Friday.

More information about the grease drive can be found at the Pima County website.