The Fat Trap Educational Flyers
These flyers are available from FOG-Catcher Limited. We made them to promote the better use of the sewer and stormwater systems, and to promote our Fat Trap product.
(Note that the PDFs you can download from this website are not high quality. They are low quality to reduce their size. Printed copies at high resolution can be ordered from FOG-Catcher.)
"The Fat TrapTM" flyer (161k pdf)
This is two-sided, in colour, with photos.
Side 1 is titled "The Fat Trap" and has a medium-size picture of the "Fat Trap" at the top. It is subtitled as "For easy disposal of all kitchen fats & oils".
It briefly points out the hazards of pouring fat and oil down the sink. It states that you can "help avoid these problems by collecting all your kitchen fats and oils in a "Fat Trap".
Brief instructions on emptying the "Fat Trap" are supplied. Contact details where you can obtain a "Fat Trap" are supplied.
Side 2 is titled "Use a Fat Trap to help keep the environment clean and prevent blocked drains". It is subtitled as "Clean, convenient and easy to use" and a photo shows a frying pan being emptied into one.
A section on "Make your own Bird Cake" briefly describes the process, depicted by a photo of 3 silvereyes queuing to eat from a Bird Cake. A useful New Zealand webpage address is supplied, where there is more on feeding birds.
The final section is information from a vet who has a keen interest in birds, combined with information from the above website.
"Bag It For Landfill" flyer (113k pdf)
"Bag if for Landfill" describes the Safe Disposal of Items, listing the worst items that often go down the toilet and describing how to properly dispose of them. This is an A4, landscape flyer. It is 2-sided, with 3 columns on both sides, and folds into thirds to a concertina size with 6 "pages" of information. Both sides of the flyer are in the same PDF. It is in colour but also looks good in black and white.
Page 1 is a column headed "Bag it For Landfill", showing a photo of a council refuse bag.
Pages 2 and 3 contain a short description of the function of a sewerage system ("What's the Problem?"), followed by a discussion of how sewers are misused ("Why does it matter?").
Page 4 is titled "Don't Take the Oozy Way Out" and lists which items should not be flushed or poured into the sewers.
Pages 5 and 6 contain details of how to dispose of all products that should not go into the sewer under the heading "Safe Disposal of Waste".
"Keep a Healthy Sewer Near You!" flyer (162k pdf)
"Keep a Healthy Sewer Near You!" describes the purpose of the sewers, their actual diameters, how blockages occur, and "The Dirty Dozen" worst items to put down them. This is an A4, landscape flyer. It is 2-sided, with 2 columns on both sides, and folds into half to an A5 size booklet with 4 "pages" of information.
Page 1 states what things sewers are expected to handle, and points out that other things cause blockages. It focuses on "disposable" items and states that none of them should ever go down the sewers. It includes the slogan "Always Bag it for Landfill".
Page 2 describes the "Dirty Dozen" categories of items that cause blockages under the heading "Be Wise - be Sewer-Wise".
Page 3 describes the size of drain and sewer pipes, illustrating how easy it can be to block them when they are that small. It repeats that all items end up at the treatment plant, that you can clog the drains with your rubbish, that sewage then floods out, and gives simple advice on how to treat a few of the commonest problem items.
Page 4 has some interesting historical facts, the intention being that people will like to pass this on to others and spread the word about the flyer.
"Don't Dam the Drain" flyer (156k pdf)
"Don't Dam the Drain" describes how you can block your drain or sewer by carelessly disposing of rubbish in the toilet and by washing grease off pots and plates in the kitchen sink. DamTheDrain.pdf is a 2-sided A4 flyer. It has a page of information on one side and a "poster" of what to do in the kitchen on the other side.
Page 1 describes the effects of a beaver damming a river and humans blocking a drain - both cause flooding.
![How to [Not] Block your Kitchen Sink](images/FlyDamPart2_250px.jpg "How to [Not] Block your Kitchen Sink")
Page 2 is a simple table of BAD IDEAS and GOOD IDEAS, each Bad Idea accompanied by the Good Idea action to perform instead. This is done with four pairs of cartoons depicting what should not happen and what should happen instead with various kinds of waste in the household kitchen.
The format is that of a poster that can be taped up on a wall anywhere where there is a kitchen used by many people. Examples are schools, and workplaces such as offices and workshops.
"Do you use your toilet as a waste bin?" flyer (205k pdf)
"Do you use your toilet as a waste bin?" is a detailed description of the problems that sewers face.
It is a 5-page, A4-sized, portrait leaflet with 2 columns on each page except for the first page. This is probably too detailed and expensive to give away, but might be helpful to show someone in a "management" position what the problem is about.
It describes the problem, that sewers don't make things disappear. Anything unsuitable is a hazard. Handling it, especially blockages, is expensive.
It isn't pleasant to see someone else's disposable item on the beach, particularly when it is a syringe needle or used sanitary item that escaped the treatment plant filters. Cotton bud sticks, condoms and contact lenses are particularly difficult to stop.
Details of what you should do are supplied, along with a couple of "did you know" 's. It finishes with tips on how to prevent blockages and other problems in drains and sewers. It concludes with "You can make a difference to the environment - one way or the other. Think before you flush! Bag it for Landfill".
"Be Waste-Wise" flyer (127k pdf)
"Be Waste-Wise" describes disposing of chemicals into both the Wastewater (sewage) and Stormwater systems. This is a 2-sided landscape flyer, with 2 columns on the cover side and one on the inner, intended to folded into 2.
Under the title "Be Waste-Wise" it describes "The Three Waters" which are the three water systems at each home – fresh water coming in, and waste and storm water going out. What should go into waste and storm water is described.
"What does it matter if you pollute?" points out the cost to Local Authorities, and the fact that you pay them to remove the Household Sewer Pollution that you create if they can. It points out that they can't remove everything and the waterways are polluted as a result.
"How can you pollute the Wastewater and Stormwater systems?" focuses on Stormwater drains.
"What's the harm" focuses on water quality and that many creatures live from dissolved oxygen, which is removed by chemicals. Details of various kind of liquid pollutants and the damage caused are listed.
"What do you do?" briefly lists what to do with household and garden chemicals, paint, car products and DIY products, and points out where you can get detailed information.
It finishes with "If in doubt, ask your Local Authority for advice."
"We'll Meet Again" flyer (141k pdf)
"We'll Meet Again" describes the problem of items escaping out of the sewer system into the sea. This is a 2-sided, landscape flyer, with 3 columns on both sides, and folds into thirds to a concertina size with 4 "pages" of information and two photographs. Both sides are in the same PDF.
Page 1 has a photo of the main entrance to the sewers for most household rubbish - a toilet. It has the instruction "DON'T put rubbish down the toilet. It won't just disappear."
On Page 2, under the heading "DON'T FLUSH IT - BAG IT" is a bullet list of items "YOU MUST NEVER FLUSH".
Under the slogan "BAG IT FOR LANDFILL" it tells on Pages 3 and 4 what happens when you flush away rubbish down the toilet. It points out that sanitary items can block up the sewers and equipment. It informs that sewage can escape into the stormwater system, untreated and unfiltered, and go into the rivers and seas. It is inevitable that some of your waste ends up on the beach. It finishes with 'Always "Bag it for Landfill". You don't want to meet it again. Do you?'
Page 5 is a small girl on a beach reaching for something pink. Under the heading "WE'LL MEET AGAIN..." is a speech-bubble containing "Hey look, Daddy! Shells, crabs and a pink balloon!!".
The final page is a list of items that are commonly disposed of down the toilet and information on how they should be disposed of. It ends with "For more information, see your Local Authority".