USED OIL RECYCLING
Car engines, bikes, and lawnmowers require oil to run
properly. Used oil
must be properly disposed or recycled; dumping it is prohibited.
In addition to recycling the oil, filters can also be
recycled, or if managed properly, disposed.
Despite legal regulations against dumping used oil, nearly
two million gallons of used oil are disposed of improperly of
each year. This poses numerous hazards to the environment,
including pollution of ground water and soil.
1.
Because used
oil is insoluble and highly sticky, oil pollution poses a
particular threat to wildlife and aquatic life.
2.
Used oil
contains heavy metals and other contaminants like lead,
magnesium, chromium, arsenic, and chlorides.
3.
A million
gallons of water can be ruined by just one gallon of oil.
4.
One gallon of
used oil can create over two quarts of new oil.
This same amount would require 42 gallons of crude oil.
Recycled, or re-refined, oil performs equally well, and
sometimes even better, than virgin oil. Motor oil is 100 percent
recyclable and does not wear out.
The oil can be re-refined any number of times, producing
new motor oil for automobiles or other energy sources.
Commercial Management
of Used Oil
The law requires businesses to take safety and preventative
measures to avoid oil pollution.
1.
Keep all oil
containers labeled, cleaned, and repaired.
2.
Prevent oil
spills and leaks by proper maintenance of machinery.
3.
Take measures
to contain spilled oil so that it can be recycled as used oil.
4.
Take special
care when transferring oil from machinery to containers.
Businesses can proactively promote recycling by purchasing
re-refined oil products.
These products must meet the same requirements as newly
produced virgin oil.
Recycling Your Own Oil
Service stations are required to follow certain handling
rules, in order to control the amount of improper oil disposal.
However, consumers who change their own oil often dispose
of it on the ground, in the trash, or into storm drains.
Consumers who change their own oil should also recycle and
practice safe handling practices.
1.
Be careful not
to spill any used oil onto the ground.
2.
Place used oil
into a clean, sealable plastic container.
Do not use containers that previously held antifreeze,
gasoline, bleach, or any other chemical.
These could contaminate the oil and prevent refining.
3.
Take the used
oil to a retail store or service site that recycles.
OIL RECYCLING PROCESSES
Depending on the intended end product, used oil is recycled:
1.
On-site:
Some businesses may recondition the oil, removing
impurities and enabling it for immediate reuse.
Though this process does not create as high a quality of
oil, it does enable prolonged use of the oil.
2.
At a petroleum
refinery: These processors change used oil into gasoline or
coke.
3.
By re-refining:
As a more thorough treatment, re-refining restores used
oil to its original state.
This process enables the oil to be recycled indefinitely,
effectively closing the recycling loop.
4.
For energy:
When processing oil for an energy sources, water and
particulates are removed, and the oil is burned to generate heat
for industrial operations.
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