Used Oil Recycling
Used oil must be replaced because impurities such as dirt, metal scrapings, water, and chemicals get mixed in with the oil over time making it less effective. But the oil itself does not breakdown, and can be re-refined into essentially the same product it was before. Used oil filters contain reusable scrap metal that steel producers can use as scrap feed.
Used oil can be re-processed into:
- Lubricants
- Fuel oils
- Raw materials for refineries and the petrochemical industry
Potential collection sites for used oil include:
- Service stations
- Taxi or car rental garages
- Car dealerships
Used Oil Recycling Options
Recondition on site
- Remove impurities from the used oil and use it again
- Does not restore the oil to its original condition, but prolongs its life
Re-refine
- Treat used oil to remove impurities so that it can be used as a base stock for new lubricating oil.
- Prolongs the life of the oil resource indefinitely
- Preferred option because it closes the recycling loop by reusing the oil to make the same product that it was when it started out
Insert into a petroleum refinery
- Introduce used oil as an ingredient into either the front end of the refining process or the coker (a chemical engineering process) to produce gasoline and coke ( a byproduct of the refinement process that is also used as fuel).
Processed and burned for energy recovery
- Remove water and particulates so that used oil can be burned as fuel to generate heat or to power industrial operations
- Not as preferable because only allows for single-use
RATIONALE
The EPA estimates that 200 million gallons of used oil are improperly disposed of each year polluting soil and water systems.
Re-refining used oil takes only about one-third the energy of refining crude oil to lubricant quality, and it takes 42 times less used oil than crude oil to produce 2 1/2 quarts of equivalent product.
Rerefined oil must meet the same refining, compounding, and performance standards as virgin oil. The EPA has shown through laboratory testing and field studies that rerefined oil is equivalent to virgin oil and in some situations, even outperforms it.
EFFORT REQUIRED
Depending on how used oil is being recycled, there will be differing levels of effort required. Simple on-site reconditioning can be done by existing staff without added infrastructure, but re-refining requires a processing facility as well as collection and transportation systems.
BENEFITS
- Recycling used oil keeps it from being released into the environment
- Huge reductions in energy inputs and virgin material extraction
- Potentially save money on fleet management if processing can be done internally
RISKS
- Any upfront investment in storage and transportation infrastructure
- The requirement of community participation for long-term viability
- Quality control for residents participating in the program
ACTION AGENT(S)
- Environmental Management department
- Solid Waste Management/Recycling department
- Public Works department
COST
Program costs will vary greatly depending on the existing infrastructure, and required upfront investment. It could be as simple as creating an outreach program to educate residents about existing collection facilities, or as ambitious as creating permanent facilities to handle ongoing re-refining operations for city fleets and residential needs.
The collection, reprocessing, marketing, and use of materials that were diverted or recovered from the solid waste stream.The ability or potential of a physical body to do work. The most common forms of energy are heat, light, mechanical (moving parts), and electrical.
