How to Dispose of Bacon Grease Properly

Bacon grease must be disposed of properly to avoid the harmful effects of disposing bacon grease improperly. Disposing of bacon grease is actually very simple, if you follow some basic guidelines and use some basic common sense.

The cardinal rule for disposing of bacon grease properly is that you should never pour hot bacon grease down the drain. Although bacon grease is in a liquid state when it is hot, bacon grease solidifies as it cools. Even if you pour hot bacon grease down the sink while it is liquid, the bacon grease will cool rapidly when it encounters cold water or cold drainpipes. This will harden the bacon grease into a sticky fat substance that will cling to the inside walls of your plumbing and eventually clog your drain. Even if you run hot water down your drain along with the bacon grease, there is no way to ensure that all of the liquid fat actually makes it out of your plumbing system and into the sewer system. And solidified bacon grease can create even larger problems in the sewer system as it builds up over time.

So, if you should not pour bacon grease down the drain, what is the proper way to dispose of bacon grease? In general you should dispose of bacon grease in the trash, just as any other piece of solid organic waste. To dispose of bacon grease in the regular trash, you can use an old mason jar to contain the liquid bacon grease until it solidifies, and then just throw away the sealed mason jar containing the solidified bacon grease. If you do not have a spare mason jar that you are willing to part with, then you can just pour the hot bacon grease into a bowl, wait for it to harden, and then just spoon it into a plastic bag and place it in the trash. If you use a plastic bag, it is a good idea to double-bad the grease to make sure that you don't end up with a leaky bag dripping bacon grease all over your kitchen floor.

If you have a compost pile, you should never try to compost bacon grease. In general, you should not try to compost animal byproducts, both because bacon grease does not decompose quickly and because animal products can host parasites or diseases that you do not want to introduce into your compost. It can be tempting to put decomposable animal products in with your compost bin, but it is safest to stick to vegetable matter for composting.

In conclusion, never pour hot bacon grease down the drain. This will only clog your drain or the city sewage system. Just find a safe container to store the liquid hot bacon grease until it hardens,and throw the bacon grease away along with the rest of your trash. Do not attempt to compost bacon grease, or any other animal remains. If you follow these guidelines, you can dispose of bacon grease easily and safely without having to worry about the negative effects of improper disposal.