Did you know according to the Chemical Engineering Department of The University of Alabama, records show that since 1,000 A.D. the world population has tripled, while fossil fuel has grown tenfold.

Americans throw away enough used motor oil every year to fill 120 supertankers.

Delving further into facts on motor oil shows that used oil is insoluble, persistent, slow to degrade, sticks to everything from beach sand to bird feathers and can contain toxic chemicals and heavy metals.

These and many more reasons support the need for Project R.O.S.E. or recycled oil saves energy.

The project was started in 1977 at the university by Dr. Gary April, who now serves as director of the department.

According to Assistant Coordinator Charlotte Nix, Dr. April saw a definite need for motor oil to be recycled.

”By collecting and recycling used motor oil from just one oil change, we can protect a million gallons of drinking water—or a year’s supply for 50 people,” said Nix.

The American Petroleum Institute provides a library of information on statistics supporting the efforts of this project.

By using recycled motor oil, power plants and municipalities are able to heat facilities at reduced costs, which ultimately means that the savings trickle down to the consumers and citizens in those participating locations.

The City of Headland has already jumped on board the “Keep America Clean” band wagon by opening up a used oil disposal tank at the city grounds.

The City Council, led by Mayor Donald Smith, recently approved the need of the site for the tank.

Citizens are encouraged to take advantage of this service, and according to Nix, any city, that would like a tank placed at a designated site can contact the department for assistance.

“We will donate a tank to the city,” she said.

According to other resources, the largest waste oil processing plant is located in East Chicago, Indiana. The facility is to recycle 75 million gallons per year of crankcase and industrial oil and 20 million gallons per year of oily wastewater.

One gallon of used oil provides the same 2.5 quarts of high quality lubricating oil as 42 gallons of crude oil.

So, for those businesses and individuals in Henry County who are interested in saving our land, there are a few things to keep in mind:

  1. Never mix any other wastes with used oil.

  2. Even though federal regulations do not list used oil as a hazardous waste, many states regulate used oil as a hazardous waste, and therefore, have more stringent requirements for management and disposal of used oil than the federal government.

  3. By properly managing used oil, Henry County residents may help protect the environment, in addition to protecting human and wildlife health.

  4. Recycling also serves to help the United States reduce dependency on foreign oil imports and a valuable resource is, being conserved for future generations.

The Environmental Protection Agency and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management are powerful entities backing Project R.O.S.E., which receives its funding through ADECA.

According to Nix, the City of Abbeville will be contacted about providing a proper site for a collection center in the very near future.

She reminded the public, “Used motor oil never wears out, it only gets dirty.”

For more information, view the website: http://prose.eng.ua.edu or contact the project at 1-800-452-5901.