Grease Theft is A Growing Problem in Houston. Here’s What Restaurant Owners Can Do

Over the past few years, the scourge of grease theft—thieves rolling into restaurant parking lots, siphoning used cooking oil out of an unsuspecting restaurant’s tank, without a contract and without providing any sort of rebate or record of the collection—has hit Houston.

Restaurants end up with damaged equipment, spilled grease and the loss of any associated rebates. Communities suffer as spills contaminate the environment. But you don’t have to feel helpless as grease theft spreads innHouston, Texas. Here are some ways you can protect your restaurant.

How You Can Prevent Grease Theft in Houston, Texas

• Request temporarily increased police presence
• Report thefts to local authorities in Houston. If the problem is ongoing, reach out to the environmental police.(Do not approach thieves yourself. They will often say they are subcontractors. Watch for white vans, pickup trucks with no identifying names or logos on trucks. Call the police if you see them in action.)
• Request more frequent collections so there isn’t as much oil in your tank to steal
• Install security cameras facing your used cooking oil storage container
• Ask your cooking oil recycling company about different tank options. Are there any tanks you can keep inside? Is there a beefier tank with a stronger lock to deter Houston grease thieves?

What ReGrease is Doing to Stop Grease Theft in Houston

• Building relationships with local environmental police to work together and catch grease thieves.
• Swapping in reinforced tanks in areas seeing an increase in grease theft.
• Offering shorter intervals between used cooking oil pickups

Grease theft is on the rise in Houston, but law enforcement in our area and throughout the country are starting to pay more and more attention. Many of the thieves that have been caught so far are involved in organized crime, and are using stolen grease to help fund operations. Keep an eye out, report any incidents to local law enforcement, to help protect your restaurant, your environment, and your community.