A major waste company is urging businesses not to let their profits disappear down the plughole

Fats, oils and grease contribute to three quarters of all drains and sewer blockages, costing outlets thousands of pounds in drainage emergency call outs.

Serious Waste Management is an environmentally responsible waste company that operates from five depots in Britain—Burton on Trent, Middlewich, Perth, Penrith and Halesowen. They are now supplying and fitting Grease Shield, a system that suits supermarkets, restaurants and fast food outlets. It is believed that Buckingham Palace already has one installed.

David Birkett, the Managing Director of Serious, said: "Our experience has proved to us the value of Grease Shield. We get call outs from kitchens all the time whose businesses have suddenly come to a smelly and inconvenient halt because their drains are blocked. It makes complete economic sense for outlets to install a system that prevents that from happening."

The Grease Shield is the first self-cleaning grease trap to be developed in this country and it combats the traditional problems of FOG -fats, oils and grease- by discharging them into an external container and cleaning itself automatically. The Grease Shield is the only grease trap to remove and de-water food debris discharging it for disposal or composting. Food removal is conducted using an Archimedes screw which draws food waste up at a 45 degrees angle, dewatering by gravity and dropping into a food collection container.

Jonathan McConnell of Grease Shield, said: "The problem with conventional grease traps is that as they accumulate fat, oil and grease the separation-zone becomes smaller and they lose efficiency. To remain effective conventional grease traps must be regularly emptied by a contractor or by kitchen-staff, this can be inconvenient and expensive and is often forgotten – resulting in blocked drains and hygiene problems. Grease Shield is designed so it all happens automatically, saving hours of staff time and preventing blockages."