Waste disposal of fat

I put it on the compost heap; but we don't eat much meat, so it doesn't happen very often.

Could freeze it then use it to make food for the birds when the weather gets bad. Unless it's salty, of course.

Make it into fat balls for the birds. You can make nice little bell-looking things by threading through a yoghourt pot with a thick piece of string, set it on a plate and pour in the melted fat, you can add seeds and things if you like. I use chicken feed, mould it around a piece of string and hang it from the pergola where I can watch while doing the washing-up.

Oh no; you've just got me thinking of the dripping cake I used to eat when I was little. Want some now....

Save beef dripping to put on toast.
Other kinds I put into the fridge in a container to solidify then scrape into the bin.
If there's a small amount I just wipe the pan with kitchen paper then put that in the bin.

Surely to goodness we don't need Waitrose or anyone else to tell us not to put fat down the sink [grumpy old woman emoticon]

Don't put it down the sink - it will either solidify and block the drain, or form "fatbergs" in the sewers.
The only fat we get is from chickens and I re-use it for various things.
Occasionally we have chips and I use oil in the deep fryer. Our waste disposal place take used cooking oil, not sure what they do with it.

We have regular bonfires so no probs. DH is always looking around for things to help it burn.

Our local Council collects all our food waste separately and then it goes to an anaerobic digester that produces methane that is fed into the gas mains. The material left over is sold to farmers as a fertiliser.

All my vegetable waste goes onto my compost heater, but waste fat is left to solidify and then scraped into the food waste bag.

I always cover any fat left in a saucepan/frying pan/whatever with a couple of sheets of kitchen roll of a decent thickness. Then leave it a while. The kitchen roll absorbs the oil/fat which can then be thrown in the kitchen waste bin/composting bin.
If there is a large quantity of oil or fat you might need to do it again.

Pouring it down the sink or throwing it away - your chucking away FLAVOUR, which is a cardinal sin in any kitchen!

OK, some fat disposal is always going to be necessary, but it's a shame!

That's 'you're' - see how upset I was?

I use it to make the gravy, delicious. Since I saw a tv programme about fat balls in the drains, I have put any left over fat into the compost recycling bin.

I'd be a bit wary of putting it in the compost bin in case it attracted rats. Making bird feeders is a good idea.

I pour it into a bowl or mug and let it go solid, then scrape it into the food recycling bin. If it's still a bit oily and not solid I mix it with any other food waste in the food recycling. Or I mix it up with bird seed and scraps and put it on the bird table.

I don't put it down the sink - I saw on the tv that huge revolting ball of solid fat mixed up with wet wipes etc which was blocking the sewers. The workmen had to go down there to get rid of it. Yuck!

If it's only a little bit I put it in the dog's bowl - does wonders for his shiny coat and he thinks it's very tasty

Years ago I always had a bowl of fat in the fridge which used to get added to over the weeks, occasionally being cleaned by mixing it with boiling water and letting it harden again so that I could remove the "bits" in the bottom. Never did any of us any harm but these days you don't seem to need to add fat to anything apart from roast potatoes perhaps

My mother always saved the fat from the roast to use later for potatoes or whatever.

ruby - the compost bin is enclosed, rats can't get in. Rats do love those hanging fat balls we put out for the birds though. I no longer have hens in the garden, but the anti rat campaign continues, and I bring in the big feeders at dusk

Yes, I do have to hang the fat balls where nothing but birds can get at them. I would never put the fat on my compost heaps. Next door has chickens, and we will again at some point soon, so the last thing I want to do is encourage them. I do NOT give the fat to my chickens! It seems a bit too carnivorous.

Chickens are carnivorous when they get the chance. My DS1 reported the relish with which his birds tore apart and consumed a mouse that was daft enough to get into the chicken run. [yuk emoticon]
Whenever I think I have hung the fat balls where the squirrels can't get at them, they manage to work out a way to outwit me. I have come to the conclusion that squirrels are brighter than I am.

No squirrels here, thankfully. My cousin has big squirrel problems. I almost think I prefer rats in my roof to her squirrels.

I mix it with a melted block of lard to make yogurt pot bird feeders too, then hang them in amongst the ivy to stop squirrels getting at them.

annodomini, I suspect squirrels, like rats, could take over the world if we aren't vigilant. The doodle dogs have just had a mad moment, when a squirrel trotted over to the bird hangers - one dog now chilling out, younger dog sitting by the window, 150% vigilant in case it returns.

Agus - I had to have the rat man out some years ago, after seeing one in the garden. Evidently, the drains had overflowed during storms and the rats were seeking alternative accommodation. He inspected my chicken/rat prevention efforts, and said all was good. The only thing he queried was the ivy tumbling around the dreaded leylandi in a neighbour's garden that adjoins ours. He said the ivy would make perfect rat runs. I am not good with rodents

Squirrels are amazingly clever little blighters - I've had many hours of entertainment from them!

We have had rats earlier this year. I laid down poison in sachets and the rats enjoyed it so much they climbed the shelves to where the packet was stored, knocked it onto the floor and then gobbled up the contents.

Haven't seen any rats since then.