Thieves swipe cooking grease for fuel

June 6, 2008
Rise in used cooking grease thefts rise with growing demand for biofuel

CINCINNATI --

Drivers have been turning to biodiesel to help beat rising fuel costs, but not everyone has been doing it legally.

Thieves have stolen used cooking grease from Dumpsters, and the number of such thefts has grown along with the number of vehicles that can use the fuel.

“We operate in about 20 states, and I would say we deal with about four to five reports of theft a day,” said Chris Griffin of Griffin Industries, which collects the grease.

During an Arkansas news report about vehicles converted to use biofuels, a man is shown taking the grease from a Griffin Industries container.

“What that news station had done is actually filmed the gentleman breaking into a Griffin grease container and stealing the grease,” Griffin said.

The driver actually had permission from the restaurant to remove the grease, but Griffin said it wasn’t theirs to give.

The yellow grease is traded as a commodity, currently selling for $2.24 per gallon, so the grease at most any restaurant has already been claimed.

That's why it may not be legally removed from Dumpsters, Griffin said.

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