Any Old Oil Or Used Motor Oil? – Part 2

When discarded irresponsibly, used motor oil contaminates and pollutes the environment, but despite this, it is estimated that as much as two hundred million gallons of this valuable resource are disposed of improperly each year.

Motor oil may get dirty once it has been used in our vehicles, machines and lawnmowers, but it does not wear out! Recycled motor oil can be put to good use in many different ways so rather than wasting it and damaging the environment we all need to take greater responsibility, recognise its value and recycle it!

RECYCLING USED MOTOR OIL

Once the old oil has been drained from cars or any other machines, the recycling process involves the removal of dirt, insoluble’s, water, heavy metals, nitrogen and other chemical impurities.

During the recycling process, the used oil is dehydrated. At this stage, a small quantity of residual light fuel is removed from the oil; this is used to provide power for operating the refinery. Another useful substance that can be removed when the oil is dehydrated is ethylene glycol; a key component in antifreeze.

Following this process, the end product is referred to as re-refined oil, a product that is equal to virgin oil in terms of its standard of performance; in fact, re-refined oil has been known to actually outperform virgin oil in certain situations!

All products that are produced by recycling used oil are stringently tested to ensure they meet quality standards before they are released for sale.

IT IS NOT WASTE – IT IS A USEFUL RESOURCE!

There are so many uses for this valuable resource as used oil can be recycled indefinitely. For example it can be:

·   Used as a raw material within the petrochemical industry.
·   Processed into a fuel oil.
·   Re-refined into a quality lubricating oil.

THE BENEFITS OF RECYCLING

• Less environmental pollution caused to soil and water.
• Significant amounts of energy and resources can be saved saved
• Producing 3 litres of top quality lubricating oil, would require an input of either 42 gallons of crude oil OR just 1 gallon of used oil: an astounding difference!
• Just 4 litres of used oil can generate sufficient electricity to power an entire home for one day. How could it possibly make sense not to recycle it?

USED OIL FILTERS

In addition to used oil, used oil filters can also be safely and successfully recycled, providing they have been drained properly. The majority of collection centres for used motor oil will be happy to accept used oil filters too, which is great news because the recycling of the filters, avoids any potential damage to the environment caused by disposal too.
Scrap steel can be successfully recovered from used oil filters, this material is then recycled as scrap feed by steel producers.

POTENTIAL HAZARDS

When this valuable resource is disposed appropriately in a collection centre, it can be recycled and reused indefinitely, rather than posing a threat to our environment or to us humans!

It is however essential to take great care when storing oil due to the potential fire hazard it can create. For this reason, it is never a good idea to store used oil in containers for extended periods around your home or business. Used oil will cause many other materials to degrade, increasing the risk of an accidental spillage, so choose your vessel carefully and take care not to leave your old oil hanging around for long!