Lynchburg Launches Holiday Grease Disposal Campaign

Lynchburg Water Resources and Bedford Water are giving away free kits to keep fats, oils, and grease out of sewer lines this holiday season.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Home Cleaning

Vector-style editorial illustration of a cooking-oil bowl and sealed grease container on a countertop above a pipe segment, in coral, teal, and cream. — Lynchburg Water Resources and Bedford Water are giving residents free kits to collect holiday grease for recycling, available November 9 through December 31, 2026. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Will you use a free grease kit to dispose of holiday cooking grease properly?

Lynchburg Water Resources and Bedford Water have partnered to encourage residents to recycle cooking oils and grease rather than pouring them down drains. Free grease collection kits are available for pick-up from November 9 to December 31, 2026.

Why it matters

Fats, oils, and grease solidify in sewer pipes and mix with non-flushable items to form fatbergs that block lines and cause overflows into backyards, forests, and streams. Keeping grease out of the system helps prevent these costly and unsafe overflows for households across Lynchburg.

Free kits include a funnel, can lid, sponge, dish scraper, and informational hand-outs, available at Lynchburg Parks and Recreation, Lynchburg Community Market, Bedford County Waste Management, and Bedford Christian Ministries. Collected grease will be recycled into biofuel, though the source does not state how much grease the program expects to gather.

The players

Lynchburg Water Resources

The municipal water utility serving the City of Lynchburg, responsible for wastewater collection and treatment in the city.

Bedford Water

The water utility serving Bedford, Virginia, which joined Lynchburg Water Resources in running the grease disposal campaign.

The details

Residents can pick up a kit, use it to contain holiday grease, and return the sealed container to a participating drop-off location with a designated collection bin. The campaign is run jointly by the two utilities to reduce blockages that build up when grease is washed down household drains.

November 9 to December 31, 2026: Free grease collection kits are available for pick-up during the holiday season.

Culture Shift

The campaign reflects a growing municipal push to move household grease into recycling channels rather than drains, as fatbergs in sewer systems have become a recognized cause of costly overflows. Residents who once poured holiday cooking fat down the sink are now being asked to collect it for conversion into biofuel.

Households can pick up a free kit with a funnel, can lid, sponge, and dish scraper to collect holiday grease instead of pouring it down the drain. Using the kit keeps sewer lines clear and reduces the chance of backups into backyards and nearby streams.

The takeaway

Collecting cooking grease in a sealed container rather than rinsing it down the sink is one of the simplest ways to protect your home's plumbing and the local sewer system. Keep a kit or old can handy during the holidays so grease goes to the right place.