Grease Vault anti-theft lids from Wastequip are designed for safe and simple storage of used food grease at collection sites, including restaurants, schools, hospitals and hotels.

“Basically, anybody with a truck, pump and a container can break into a grease container, harvest the grease and sell it,” says Amanda Maeyaert, product manager, Wastequip Container Division. “There’s not a lot of regulation on where the grease is coming from. One of the common methods for breaking into a grease container is to use a crowbar to pry open the lid or the edges. This lid does not allow for that.”

The anti-theft lids, available in middle- and end-dump styles, feature interlocking plates with no edge to pry open, shielded lock and heavy-duty, drop-in flat grate or optional box grate with sloped surface. The lid and grate system are standard on Wastequip grease containers and can be retrofitted on most existing containers in about a minute. No welding or tools are required.

“There are two plates that slide together, creating the lid,” she says. “A grate that allows for grease disposal slides into the middle of both interlocking plates, securing the lid.”

Available in 100-, 208-, 294- and 360-gallon capacities, the containers have a lip overhang to prevent spills and can be emptied by vacuum or dumping. Containers are 32 3/4 inches (100 gallons) or 60 inches long (208, 294 and 360 gallons); 32 3/4 inches (100 gallon), 33 inches (208 gallons) or 42 inches wide; and 36 or 41 inches high (360 gallons). The fully assembled containers weigh 230, 340, 385 or 406 pounds.

“When vacuuming you would remove the padlock, take out the grate and vacuum the contents,” Maeyaert says. “For parts of the country that are colder, they might have to heat the grease by placing the container in a steam bath and dump that into a truck. In that case you would remove the whole lid.”

Standard containers are made of 14-gauge steel with heavy-duty 12-gauge available. Options include bottom rails to keep the container off the ground, casters/dollys for maneuverability, heat tubes for cold climates and dumping pins for use with a dumping truck. 877/468-9278; www.wastequip.com.