FROM TRASH TO TREASURE: THE RISING THEFT OF GREASE A dark alley filled with trash dumpsters and bins for used cooking oil – it’s the last place you’d expect thieves to steal something of significant value, but you’d be wrong. Grease theft is on the rise. The hunt for sustainable fuels to end dependency for U.S. energy has turned this yellow liquid from useless to extremely valuable, not to mention profitable. One truckload of the liquid gold can garner up to $600.