It’s estimated that over one million turkeys will be eaten in the Anglian Water region over the Christmas period – with each one producing around three-quarters of a pint of fat. This is the equivalent of one million blocks of butter, ready to go sliding down the region’s drains quicker than Santa down a chimney – unless households take action. 

Every year, the water company’s engineers clear thousands of blockages from pipes in the East of England – with more than 35,000 a year in the region.  
The wrongful disposal of fats, oils and greases (FOGs) can lead to devastating flooding, particularly in wet winters, when heavier rainfall overwhelms the sewers. Shockingly, 80% of these blockages are completely avoidable through simple behaviour changes.

This year, Anglian Water is encouraging all Christmas chefs to wrap up their cooking waste and pop it in the bin as part of their Just Bin It campaign. This will help to keep pipes clear - including the customers’ internal pipes that cost them money to clear – and keep the region’s sewers flowing merrily all season long. 

The festive period sees an increase in the disposal of fats and food waste, often at the detriment of the region’s sewers. Fat often slides easily down the sink as a warm liquid; however, it quickly cools and hardens. This coats the sewer walls and pipes, which restricts the flow of water and increasing the risk of blockages that can lead to floods.

Fat also binds with other food scraps and items that have been wrongfully disposed of, such as wipes, cotton buds and sanitary items, known as “unflushables” – all of which should be binned instead. 

Connor Brailsford, Programme Manager from Anglian Water said: “Stopping fats, oils, and grease at the source is one of the most effective ways to protect our environment – especially when combined with action on unflushable items like wet wipes.” 

This year, Anglian Water has been working across the region identifying blockage hotspots to raise awareness and protect local communities by keeping their pipes safe from blockages.  

Connor added: “Blockages can lead to flooding, and if this happens on your property, the repair bill will be one Christmas present you definitely don’t want. Avoidable blockages are also one of the main causes of pollution and significantly contribute to spills from storm overflows because they reduce the capacity of the sewer network.

“To help combat the issue, we’ve installed more than 50,000 new monitors in the most vulnerable pipes on our sewer network, including those most prone to blockages. Our aim is to prevent pollutions and floodings by finding blockages and removing them before they cause a bigger issue, but we need everyone to do their bit too to keep pipes flowing this Christmas.”

Anglian Water’s ‘Just Bin It’ campaign continues to raise awareness throughout the year of what should and shouldn’t go down the drain. Whether it’s wet wipes, cooking fats, or oils, every small action adds up to big environmental benefits. 

Anglian Water’s top tips for leftovers this Christmas: 
- Turkey fat doesn’t have to go to waste – it can be used again to make perfect roast potatoes, or frozen and added to stocks and soups 
- Use your leftover veg and potatoes to make delicious bubble & squeak – ideal for Boxing Day! 
- Leftover turkey tastes great in sandwiches… just don’t forget to stock up on the cranberry sauce! 
- If you need to bin the fat, let it cool and then scrape it into your bin or use some newspaper to scoop it up and put in your food caddy or composter.