The Cobb County government, on its Facebook page, offered tips on how to dispose of cooking grease without doing damage to your own pipes and the county’s sewage collection system.

We’ve reprinted the county’s guidance below:

Fats, oils and grease are by-products of the food preparation process.

Known as FOG, they become problematic if not managed because they cause blockages in your plumbing and in the sewer collection system.

What does FOG have to with you?

Allowing FOG down your drain may seem harmless, but once in the pipes, FOG cools and clings to everything in the sewer system.

Over time, FOG will block pipes and force sewage to back up into homes, streets, or creeks.

In Cobb, about 85 percent of sewer blockages are grease-related and occur in residential areas. Help protect the environment and reduce costs by properly disposing of FOG.

Wipe and scrape leftover food, pan drippings, and coated utensils in the trash, use sink strainers to catch and dump food bits, and cool frying grease and oils for disposal in the trash.

Our community greatly benefits when households implemented these small actions.

Keep your pipes flowing by following these simple practices:

• Scrape pans and plates into the trash (not the sink).
• Pour, wipe and scrape oil and grease from pans into a container and throw it away.
• Fryer grease should be cooled and then placed in a sealed container and taken to a recycle center or disposed of in the trash.
• Use sink strainers to catch food and empty strainer into the trash.

For more information: visit cobbstreams.org.