Dealing with fat, oil and grease in your food business

Businesses have a legal duty to dispose of fat, oil and grease responsibly. If fat, oil and grease from your premises enter the public sewer and contribute to a blockage, Northern Ireland Water may charge you.

A food business blocking its own drains will face extra costs in clearing and cleaning them. By reducing, reusing and correctly handling fat, oil and grease, you can:

• reduce purchasing and disposal costs
• lessen the risk of environmental damage 
• ensure a safer workplace

This guide describes the best ways to deal with fat, oil and grease. It explains how to reduce and reuse fat, oil and grease in your food business and covers disposal methods such as using grease traps in your food business and biological dosing systems for fats, oil and grease.