By Dan Klepal
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Pondering what to do with today's leftovers?

We're not talking turkey here: You'll likely be eating that for days.

Disposing of the real leftovers - turkey grease and cooking oil from deep fryers - is more difficult. Poured down the kitchen drain or in the yard, they can cause environmental problems, experts say.

"If everyone dumped their oil and grease, we'd have a bad environmental situation," says Kara Allison, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. "If it goes into a storm drain, the oil and grease will find its way to a water source and will have the same type of impact that an oil spill would - it will harm fish, plants and wildlife."

Experts suggest:

• Seal it. If throwing away, seal in an airtight container and throw it in the garbage. Rumpke will accept grease and oil only in such a container.

• Recycle it. Allison said used cooking oils are being recycled into bio-diesel fuel. Many restaurants accept cooking oil for recycling, but may charge a fee.

• Use it again. Used oil is good for up to 6 months. The best way to clean the oil is to cook potatoes in it, because Allison said the starch will solidify and clump together left-behind food particles.

"It doesn't have to go to the trash," she said.

Bob Campbell, deputy director for the Metropolitan Sewer District, said grease and oil can solidify in pipes and eventually cause backups.

"If put it down the sewer, it could cause a blockage in the lateral line from the house to the main sewer," Campbell said. "Or, if enough people do it, it could cause a blockage in the line itself and that could lead to backups in peoples' basements."

Still looking for options?

E-mail dklepal@enquirer.com