CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- As you prepare your holiday meal, there is another holiday tradition that isn’t very pleasant. We’re talking about holiday grease.

Did you know grease and oil that is poured down the sink sticks to the pipes and causes significant build up?

This year Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities responded to 475 sanitary sewer overflow calls. The pipe blockages can send wastewater backwards and out of manholes, eventually ending up in our creeks.

This not only taints our water supply but can cause backups on your lawn and in your home.

After you finished cooking, make sure you empty the grease you didn’t use inside an old coffee can or jar. Make sure the grease cools or freezes then you can throw it in the trash can.

You can also add grease to kitty litter or coffee grounds and throw it in the trash. Even the grease from your turkey fryer should be tossed out properly. Large amounts of grease should be recycled at one of the four full service recycle centers.

Here is a list of the centers:

North Mecklenburg Recycling Center and Yard Waste, 12300 N. Statesville Rd.

West Mecklenburg Recycling Center, 8440 Byrum Dr.

Hickory Grove Recycling Center and Yard Waste, 8007 Pence Rd.

Foxhole Recycling Center and Yard Waste, 17131 Lancaster Highway