As of January 1, 2024, new rules on waste management came into force which, among other things, entail new requirements for separate sorting and collection of bio-waste, as well as a ban on washing cooking fat such as oil and butter down the sink.
The new requirement: This is how you must sort your rubbish – otherwise you risk a fine
Continued findings of cooking fat in drains
The risks of flushing grease down the drain is that it can solidify and cause clogs which in turn cause blockages. And despite the fact that the change in law has come into force, it has so far had limited success, according to Falköping municipality’s VA investigator Emil Wahnberg.
In an interview with TV4 he says that no improvement has yet been seen.
– It hasn’t made any difference yet. It will take much longer, but let’s hope it gets better with time.
It is now illegal to throw oil down the sink – do this instead
On January 1, it became forbidden to throw cooking fat down the drain. Photo: Janerik Henriksson/TT Do you pour shortening down the drain? Could cost you thousands
Another risk of clogs in the drain is, apart from causing blockages, that it can attract rats. Should there be a blockage in the drain, it can also cost the property owner a lot of money, explains Wahnberg.
– You have to pay for flushing and any investigation. Simply our time. It may cost the property owner quite a bit. A number of thousands of Swedish kronor can quickly go up in smoke if there are weekends and such, he explains.
What you should do is simply wipe the cooking fat out of the frying pan and throw it away with food waste. If there is a lot of cooking fat left over, you should instead pour it into a bottle and seal it and then recycle the bottle with its contents.
If it appears that you are sorting your waste incorrectly, the municipality has the right to charge a so-called wrong sorting fee.
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You can recycle shortening at the recycling centre. Photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT
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