To achieve that goal, the supply side mechanics of the sector may use many channels, either directly or indirectly, but after use there needs to be a reverse mechanism to see used oil is properly collected and managed. While few unused lubricants placed on the market are classified under legislation as hazardous, once they become waste the de facto position for most oils is a hazardous classification, for which strict laws apply.
Waste oil collections are required to be activities licensed by the UK authority with each individual collection classified against a European Waste Code provided in the official List of Wastes.
This list contains some twenty-seven classes of used oils denoted by their main use or previous area of activity e.g. engine lubricants, hydraulic fluids, metal working fluids etc., and chemical type.
Collections may be partially aggregated for transport, and storage, but only so far as any mixing process must not prejudice a subsequent treatment operation to regenerate base oils. Hence the mixing of high chlorine content lubricants or certain fully synthetic products, for example silicone oil-based lubricants, will not be allowed.
From across the UK annually Slicker make some 25,000 used oil collections and over 2,000 associated bulk movements.
When sufficient parcels of carefully selected and pre-treated used oil are amassed, these are then shipped from the UK by sea, to reduce the transport carbon footprint, to Kalundborg for re-refining.
The physical and chemical treatment processes, or re-refining activities undertaken at Kalundborg are those permitted by the Danish competent authority and are both detailed and site specific.
The aim is designed to be able to track wastes and account for their makeup from the moment of gate entry as waste to exit as products.
The regeneration process is one of a primary staged separation of coarse contaminants including heavy solids and excess free water, followed by a light distillation to remove remaining water and light ends of fuel.
Laura Carter is the Commercial Director at Slicker Recycling Limited. Tommi Järvinen is the Commercial Director at Avista Green ApS.
[1] Study by ifeu: Ecological and energetic assessment of re-refining waste oils to base oils, 2018.
The next critical stage is one of vacuum distillation to produce a flash distillate base oil that is followed by a downstream product purification process, and finally redistillation to separate out Group I type 100 and 150 Solvent Neutral fractions that mirror virgin base oil quality.
Readers might note that chemical legislation does not distinguish between virgin and recycled operations as both are treated as manufacturing. This means that the rigour of both waste and chemical law must be applied to the overall activity.
In summary, the operation ensures Slicker Recycling customers receive formal confirmation that their hazardous waste has been managed correctly, while the customers of Avista Green will receive Quality Conformance certification, Technical Data Sheets and Safety Data Sheets that meet the requirements of both the EU REACH and CLP Regulations and their corresponding UK versions.
The result of such combined activities reflect that of an International Circular Economy model and is a prime example of the principle that was originally envisaged by the Waste Oil Directive back in 1975.
The 100,000t of Used Lubricating Oil results in some 60,000t of base oils produced substituting for an equivalent amount of virgin production and when comparisons are made, it is estimated that the re-refining operation saves some 62,500 tpa of CO2
1
.
Of course that is not the end of the story, because lubricants formulated with re-refined base oil content can be re-refined again, thereby helping to provide sustainable materials for use into the future!
LINK
www.avistagreen.dk
LUBE MAGAZINE NO.166 DECEMBER 2021
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