A further endorsement for re-refining are the investments made by a number of major conventional base oil producers indicating re-refined oils will play a role in their product portfolios.
The too little and too late conundrum? Some may argue that with a slowing in base oil demand in Europe due to wider economic issues plus some heavy industry restructuring and the phasing out of conventionally powered light vehicles, that making changes in base oil supply is a late action.
In Slicker’s view, not at all. Firstly, we may have to learn to live with disruption effects as a new norm, while recognising that is the lubricant users that will influence the choice on how sustainability is delivered and in turn where we believe it will lead to circular solutions. The consumer demand for mobility (and hence a need for lubricants) should increase as economic conditions improve, while the increased use of added value higher product carbon footprint synthetic components that provide solutions for more fuel-efficient lubricants means that the greater need is to recover, as far as is practical, their content from used oils.
to introduce further legislation in Europe because there are clear examples where the current practices promoting re-refining work well which suggests others may need to revisit their waste policies and practices and improve on their enforcement procedures. Surely it be better for industry to lead from the front rather than have draconian and costly procedures imposed on them? By now there should be little doubt from a carbon saving perspective the superior option for waste treatment is one of high-quality re-refining, and it now leaves the product formulators to seize the opportunity and use re-refined base oil output to lower the carbon footprint of their products.
For the lubricants sector the combined message from our four articles is that the overriding need for society both today and in the future is one of furthering sustainability whereby making efficient collections of used oils and coupling that with high quality re-refining does make a real contribution towards a carbon saving that users of lubricants are increasingly demanding to see.
Re-refiners do not pretend that they have all the answers and accept that not all used oils can be economically re-refined - but usually greater than 80% of waste oil collections can be, and see their industry as being part of the carbon solution.
Are the benefits of using re-refined oils justified? Historically the matter has been the subject of numerous studies but often the interpretations of the results have been subjective. During the years 2019-2023 the EU Commission conducted an in-depth study combining detailed lifecycle analyses and associated societal effects comparing used oil treatment by regeneration with combustion options. The outcome shows there is not an immediate need
Notes: 1.
https://unfccc.int/cop28 2.
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/ climate-change/
3.
https://www.ueil.org/wp-content/ uploads/2023/12/UEIL_ATIEL_ PCF-Methodology_Rev-1.pdf
About the authors: This article was produced by Slicker Recycling Limited and its joint venture partner, Avista Green.
www.slickerrecycling.com/
https://avistagreen.dk/
LUBE MAGAZINE NO.180 APRIL 2024
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