As gas prices continue to float around the $4/gallon mark, the cost of biofuel is also higher than it has been. And according to grease industry insiders, this has led to an increase in thieves making off with restaurant fryer grease.

The president of the other NRA, the National Renderers Association (yes, that exists), every time fuel prices have spiked in the last four years, so have the number of grease thefts.

“It’s on the rise and it’s because of higher oil prices,” he told Reuters. “I have one member who told me it’s costing his business $1 million a year.”

That stuff in which they fry your jalapeno poppers, french fries and donuts and just about everything else that tastes yummy is usually sold to recyclers for around $.18/pound. They then clean and re-sell the grease to biofuel producers for upward of $.42 to $.45 per pound.

Reuters cites an example from Lincoln, NE, where around 4,200 pounds of used grease was heisted from from six area fast-food restaurants. That comes out to at least $1,500 in free, streaky, stained cash for the thieves.

“The price (of yellow grease) is real good right now,” said the NRA prez. “and those who steal it are really getting a good deal because they’re not paying for it.”

Fryer grease rustling rises due to oil price hikes [Reuters]

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