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Brussels, |
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Waste oil
EU rules aim to ensure that waste oil is properly managed, preventing environmental contamination and making the most of its high recovery potential.
Lubricant oils are essential for engines and machinery. Around half of all purchased lubricant oil eventually becomes waste oil, classified as hazardous waste due to its dangerous properties. For instance, one litre of waste oil can contaminate one million litres of water. If spilled on the ground, it can severely pollute the soil.
Lubricant oils are essential for engines and machinery. Around half of all purchased lubricant oil eventually becomes waste oil, classified as hazardous waste due to its dangerous properties. For instance, one litre of waste oil can contaminate one million litres of water. If spilled on the ground, it can severely pollute the soil.
- Key actors: industries, consumers, and garages have a crucial role in collecting and handing over waste oil to authorised collectors rather than dumping it illegally.
Key Objectives
Under the Waste Framework Directive, EU countries must:
- Treat waste oils according to the waste hierarchy to protect health and the environment.
- Collect waste oils separately to maximize recovery and prevent contamination.
- Avoid mixing different types of waste oils or mixing waste oils with other wastes/substances that could impede treatment.
1. Overall Generation of Waste Oils
2. Collection and Treatment
3. Economic and Environmental Impacts
4. Member State Variations
5. Future Outlook
Key Takeaways
- Total lubricant consumption: The EU (including the UK in historical data) has historically consumed around 4–6 million tonnes of lubricating oils per year, though this figure can fluctuate with economic activity.
- Proportion becoming waste oil: Roughly 40–50% of purchased lubricants end up as waste oil, while the rest is lost during use or through leakage and evaporation.
2. Collection and Treatment
- Collected waste oil: Of the total waste oil generated, the collection rate varies significantly among EU Member States, ranging anywhere from 50–90%. This discrepancy reflects differences in national collection systems, infrastructure, and enforcement.
- Final treatment routes: Common waste oil treatment pathways include:
- Re-refining (sometimes called regeneration): producing base oil from used oil.
- Energy recovery or incineration: using waste oil as a fuel in industrial processes, cement kilns, or other energy facilities.
- According to certain studies, a growing share of waste oils is re-refined, as it is typically the preferred option in the waste hierarchy (provided environmental standards are met).
- “Environmental and economic sustainability of waste lubricant oil management in the EU” (EC study)
- EEA – Hazardous waste statistics
3. Economic and Environmental Impacts
- Hazardous nature: Waste oil is classified as hazardous waste due to contaminants like heavy metals, PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), and other toxic compounds. Even 1 litre of waste oil can pollute up to 1 million litres of water.
- Potential resource savings: Properly re-refining waste oil can recover a significant percentage of high-grade base oil. This reduces the need for virgin crude extraction and refining, translating into both energy savings and a smaller carbon footprint.
- Cost of mismanagement: Illegal dumping of waste oil leads to water and soil contamination, cleanup expenses, and ecosystem damage. The economic costs associated with remediation often far outweigh the costs of proper collection and recycling.
- European Commission – Report on Circularity of Mineral and Synthetic Lubrication Oils
- JRC (Joint Research Centre) studies on hazardous waste
4. Member State Variations
- Different collection schemes: Some countries (e.g., France, Germany, Italy) have well-established extended producer responsibility (EPR) or targeted collection systems for waste oils, resulting in higher collection and re-refining rates.
- Lower-performing regions: Others face infrastructure challenges or lack robust enforcement, leading to lower collection rates and more direct energy recovery/incineration rather than re-refining.
5. Future Outlook
- Policy review: Article 21(4) of the Waste Framework Directive required the European Commission to assess the need for further measures on waste oil treatment by 31 December 2022. This could lead to stricter targets or additional incentives for re-refining.
- Circular Economy Action Plan: Under the Circular Economy Action Plan and the European Green Deal, the EU is looking to increase re-refining, reduce hazardous waste, and close the loop on valuable resources.
Key Takeaways
- Significant volume: The EU generates millions of tonnes of waste oil annually.
- Collection variability: Rates vary by country, influencing both environmental outcomes and resource recovery.
- Re-refining vs. incineration: While incineration offers energy recovery, re-refining aligns better with circular economy principles and can save resources and reduce emissions.
- High pollution risk: Even small amounts of mismanaged waste oil can cause severe contamination of soil and water.
