PORT ORCHARD — It’s no secret that fats, oils and grease from kitchens can cause problems for sewer systems.

When poured down a household drain, these items can quickly damage or clog sewage pipes. Whether your house is on a septic system or connected to a public sewer system, Kitsap County Public Works officials advise never pour these liquids down your kitchen sink.

That’s a good reminder over the holiday season when cooking poultry and pork takes center stage in the preparation for Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts. But this holiday season, residents can recycle liquid used as cooking oil at no cost at four locations in Kitsap County.

The public works department contracts with a local biodiesel company to provide a recycling option for residents. Whether you plan to deep-fry a turkey this Thanksgiving or simply cook meats in the kitchen, you can take your used liquid cooking oils to the following locations (solid fats can be disposed of in the regular garbage):

South Kitsap Recycling and Garbage Facility (Olalla)

2850 SE Burley-Olalla Road, Olalla

Central Kitsap Recycling and Garbage Facility (Silverdale)

8843 NW Dickey Road, Silverdale

North Kitsap Recycling and Garbage Facility (Hansville)

7791 NE Ecology Road, Kingston

Olympic View Transfer Station

9380 SW Barney White Road, Bremerton

These facilities are closed on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22. Visit kcowa.us/dropoff for hours and directions.

The cooking oil recycling stations are for residents with cooking oil from their home kitchens. Cooking oil from businesses cannot be recycled at these stations.

Before bringing your cooking oil, officials say to filter it at home using a strainer, coffee filter or cheesecloth. Throw away the food particles you have filtered out. Be sure to avoid spills by pouring slowly and with care into your collection tank.

Take your empty container home to reuse or throw away. Do not leave it in the recycling area.

Studies show that biodiesel outperforms gasoline, ethanol and conventional diesel in reducing carbon dioxide emissions and in overall fuel efficiency. Biodiesel has also been proven to be much less toxic than diesel fuel and is readily biodegradable. This makes it safer for distribution, use and storage. Recycling fats into a biodiesel product also help the local economy, officials say.