Student Guide to Used Oil Recycling

 This icon links you to clips from the Used Oil Recycling Video.  The files are rather large, over 1Mbyte, so it may take a while to download.

Oil and Its Origins

Oil is a primary energy resource in developed countries. It is a non-renewable resource, that is, one of limited quantity.

Current theory holds that oil was formed from the bodies of marine plants and animals, especially plankton. As these organisms decayed on the bottom of pre-historic ocean floors, they were compressed under the weight of sediment and heated by geological activity. Over time, the chemicals in their bodies were changed to form crude oil. The oil moved as the continents and seas changed until it became confined to certain locations called traps.

Today, geologists use sound waves to detect oil traps. Once a trap is located, a well is drilled and the oil is removed. Some of the oil will escape the trap under its own pressure (called a gusher), the rest of it must be pumped out. Once removed from the ground, this crude oil is sent to a refinery where it is processed into various products.

At a refinery, this chemical soup of crude oil is separated by molecular weight into different compounds. The lightest compounds (light ends) are further processed into solvents and fuels. The heavier compounds (heavy ends) are turned into greases and asphalt compounds. Compounds in the middle range become lubricants.

Chemicals that aid in engine performance are added to the lubricants, which are then packaged and marketed. This motor oil has several functions.

While the oil is doing its job in the engine, it is changed by heat and pressure. It also picks up fine metal particles from engine wear, dirt and dust from the air, and by-products from the combustion of gasoline. This is why, to ensure proper engine performance, you need to change your oil at regular intervals. People who change their own engine oil are referred to as Do-It-Yourselfers (DIYers). DIYers are often informed as to what to do with their used oil. However, more than 40% simply dump it on the ground, and another 21% put used oil into their household trash.

Used Oil And The Environment

Oil in any form can have an effect on our environment. Some studies have shown that after a shoreline oil spill, it may take up to 20 years for the environment to recover to its original condition.

A film of oil on the surface of the water can block photosynthesis and slow the productions of oxygen. The reduced oxygen supply then causes stress to the point of death in aquatic organisms. Large organisms such as mammals and birds are the most familiar victims of oil pollution because of their visibility and emotional appeal to humans. Feathers and fur stick together, become matted and lose their ability to insulate the animal against cold. Death may result from temperature shock or from the eating of oil as it is cleaned from their coats Oil in the water can also affect organisms. Some of the light ends may evaporate into the air or dissolve into the water. Many of these compounds are carcinogens and/or mutagens. Oil can clog breathing structures or be absorbed into tissue and then passed along the food chain, even to humans who eat fish or shellfish. Microscopically, oil may harm bacteria or plankton, the basis of the food chain. Some of the oil spilled into an aquatic environment settles to the bottom, affecting the organisms living there.

On the ground, oil can have a powerful affect on organisms in the topsoil layer, especially soil bacteria and invertebrates such as insects and worms. Again, the food chain base is affected. It is very likely the oil will run off into standing bodies of water or work its way down through the soil into the water table.

Reclaiming and Recycling

Recycling is environmentally and, in the long term, economically sound. It cannot change the fact that oil supplies are non-renewable, but it can extend the life of our limited supply.

The first step in the oil recycling process is the DIYer. Most importantly, USED OIL MUST NOT BE MIXED WITH ANY OTHER MATERIAL. The oil should be taken to a collection center, by either the DIYer or through some sort of curbside collection system. The oil is then transported to a re-processing center. There it is tested for contaminates, especially anti-freeze and chlorine compounds which are considered hazardous wastes. If the oil is contaminated, the oil itself is considered hazardous waste and must be specially treated. If the oil is un-contaminated, it may be reclaimed or re-refined.

Re-refining is similar to the refining of crude oil, the major difference being that fewer products are produced from used oil. The quality of re-refined used oil is equal to refined oil. As the cost of oil increases over time (because of limited supply), motor oil that has been re-refined should become more common. While the U.S. re-refines oil into diesel fuels and heavy fuel oils, some countries (Japan, W. Germany) have very active re-refining systems in place in an attempt to ease their dependence on imported oil.

[Return to the Homepage]
[Marina R.O.S.E.]
[Summary of Project R.O.S.E.]
[Establishing a Used Oil Management Program]
[Farm Used Oil Collection and Recycling]
[The Hazards of Used Oil]
[Why Should I Recycle?]
[Transporter/Hauler Directory]
[For brochures or more information]
[Links]