California is going after grease thieves

[88IDImattman]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — One man's trash is another man's biofuel, which is why state agriculture officials are launching a program to crack down on restaurant grease thieves.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture said Thursday it is contracting with police to target areas where restaurants leave out used kitchen grease to be picked up by rendering facilities. It can be converted into fuel for diesel cars and trucks.
The high cost of diesel fuel has made something that was once without value a sought-after commodity. A gallon of grease was worth about 6 cents a gallon five years ago but sells for nearly 50 cents a gallon now.
Police around the country are noting that grease thefts are up. The April 2011 issue of Render Magazine reported that Baker Commodities, an LA-area processing plant, suffered $2 million in damages from lost grease and broken equipment in 2010.
"It's a big problem across the country, but California has more restaurants, so there's a bigger loss," said Tina Caparella, the magazine's editor.
The Food and Agriculture Department regulates grease transport. A spokesman said the agency is using fees paid by rendering companies to fund police overtime in areas hardest hit.
The first crackdown is happening in Southern California. The exact location is being kept secret while the operation is ongoing.

 

[Exekiel69]

I did the veggy oil for some time and was great but for Me not really worth the time and effort.
Around here anyone could get the oil for free if they agree to pick it up regularly. It doesn't surprise Me something like this happening in CA.

 

[icanfixall]

Why not just pay for it and be safe... I wonder what a person would say in prison when asked...." what are you in for kid"..... If it were me being asked that question my answer woule be... I killed an attorney....

 

[bghnkinf350]

I am sure the money spent on the crackdowns could be better spent elsewhere.....like keeping the state parks open, or anything else!

 

[DragRag]

It's grease for Christs sake, who cares. I'm with bghnkinf350, spend the money where it matters most, not chasing some guy taking $10 in grease. When some one rips me off, they usually get hundreds or thousands of dollars in tools/equipment. Are they going to start a special unit for me? They don't even want to come and make a report! Law, and Gov are so stupid!

 

[Arborigine]

They have two problems with it.
One, once it hits the container it is the property of the company who put that container there, and part of their business model to recycle it.
Two, the State doesn't get fuel tax money from those who brew their own.
I don't burn enough to mess with the mess.

 

[bghnkinf350]

To split hairs, the same goes for when I leave my recycling on the curb.....someone comes by and picks through it, which in turn, screws the garbage company out of money. State has not cracked down on that and the garbage companies lose A LOT more money than the grease guys. Who cares where it goes, so long as it is not adversely affecting the environment?

 

[DragRag]

Aborigine makes a great point though. They are going after grease because it affects there bottom line, not ours. I guess I should have thought it out more. Either way it's screwed though. They don't care if my **** or the garbage mans **** is stolen, only theirs. Mainly theirs, in the name of tax revenue.

 

[icanfixall]

I wont put my trash out the nite before pickup because of the "people" going thru it. Lets see here. I'm required to sort my waste... So now some thief has only to open the blue tub and take what I set out for the disposal company to make money off of me. Sure... We can recycle our own bottles and cans too. I think I might just put out around 4 gallons of used atf this next collection day.... See who takes that for fuel.. Gotta change the E4OD fluid. I have a Mag hitech need pan that holds an extra 2 gallons of atf....

 

[gunz]

Once i am done with it, i dont care who takes it. I dont live in a recycle friendly area unfortuantely so mine all goes to the trash man. if someone wants to dig out the recycleables without making a mess, More power to em.

 

[Knuckledragger]

Although it is not ****, even the grease and recycling thefts are still crimes. Many of my neighbors are bleeding hearts that say, "gee, if they need it so bad, I don't mind if they go through my trash." Unfortunately, it leads to more. Not in every case, but who knows which trash picker will be the one to break into your house or steal your truck? They know when you are asleep or not home, because that is the time when they are out scavenging, walking up the alleys, looking into your yard. Unless you have a big, loud dog, your yard is theirs to pick from when you aren't there. And they know that.

It is a little hypocritical of the state or cops to suddenly see grease theft as significant, but maybe it is a step in the right direction. If they stretch their thinking a little bit, they will realize that recyclables are an income stream, too, and guard those at the curb.

 

[bghnkinf350]

Pretty sure it is not the cops that are seeing the grease theft as significant, but rather the politicians who know people in the business who are bending their ear!

You are right, it is still a crime. Now you take a large city like Oakland or San Jose, that is severly understaffed with cops, and then ask who is supposed to go out and enforce the grease thefts? It sounds okay on paper, until you decide where it takes priority.

 

[smolkin]

Do the naysayers here still think that biodiesel isn't becoming economically viable? Granted, Cali is a bit silly with their state policies sometimes, but do you really think they'd be doing all this about grease theft unless it was cutting into someone's profits?

Thankfully, my friends and I have perfectly legal and ethical ways to get our waste oil down here.

edit: a true recycling story of serendipity

When the City of Mobile bought an old gas station lot a few years back to use as a recycling center it was projected to cost the city tens of thousands of $$ per year to run, but much to their surprise, it returned a $15,000 profit that year and has been bringing in more and more every year since. They now have several full- and part-time attendants, so it created jobs, too. It's located at Lafayette and Government. There's money to be made in recycling, or companies wouldn't do it.

 

[Midwest_Mudder]

How else is Kommiefornia gonna start getting all the money it needs. Look at all the goofy laws and the absurd fees associated with them. I doubt this has much, if anything, to do with the recycling companies who process thousands of gallons a week (probably more). As someone else mentioned, its for the tax dollars that CA wont be getting. So, instead of tax dollars they'll charge you for petty theft, and then bone you for court costs after that. i cant remember where i saw it, but there is a comparison between CA's fine system and the fine system of other like sized states. Its wild to see how much higher the penalties are.

 

[CaptTom]

Theft is theft no matter what's being stolen.

Grease is becoming more scarce for a couple of reasons,

First, disposal is being mandated by the State, cradle to grave type tracking like in the oil change industry.

Second, Collection companies do spend a *** of cash to install "Enviro-friendly" containers and pay drivers to pick up... if there's nothing to pick up, the monetary losses in driver and fuel on a route that can't get a full truck adds up.

Third, there are still plenty of smaller places to get veggie, just gotta look for 'em.... so it's not as convenient to get it from your biggest Mickey D's, that us vegginolds problem.

Fourth, they don't call us Klownifornia for nuthin! Without gummint interference, you would have lotsa veggie to collect...but then as suggested, the Kommies couldn't tax the sheesh out of it.