Lubes-n-Greases Magazine May 2004
To Boost Oil Recycling, Start
with Education
By Gary C. April, Sheri D. Powell and Charlotte H. Nix
Oil pollution occurs every day, yet the media rarely publicizes anything less dramatic than the large oil tanker spills on the ocean or tanker-truck accidents on the highway. The accumulated impact caused by small amounts of oil dripping from a leaky gasket or someone disposing of motor oil improperly in a back yard is immeasurable and often more harmful to our environment. This waste oil can contaminate the soil and get into the water supply that we drink.
Lubricant manufacturers, auto service centers and mechanics play a vital role in helping to keep the environment clean. Lubricant manufacturers can add information about recycling on their packaging; auto service centers can volunteer to accept used motor oil from the public for recycling; and mechanics can inform vehicle owners about the pollution caused by leaky gaskets. Manufactures and service centers can also promote used motor oil recycling programs.
When recycled correctly, used motor oil can be used to make asphalt, as a fuel for cement kilns, and combusted to provide heat and power. It can become a high-quality rerefined motor oil, which the United States Postal Service uses in their vehicles, as do many industries and vehicle fleets.
There are many successful used motor oil recycling programs throughout the country. Alabama’s Project R.O.S.E.- Recycled Oil Saves Energy- was one of the nation’s first, and has consistently demonstrated that to sustain a recycling program, education is the key.
This public education and outreach program began in the late 1970s, when automobiles were lining up to purchase scarce gasoline. In those days, millions of gallons of used oil were being improperly disposed in the United States annually. Founded in 1977, Project R.O.S.E. is based on the assumption that, by saving energy and protecting the environment, one person can make a difference in the quality of life in a community.
The program was developed to create awareness about the importance of collecting used motor oil and keeping it out of the environment. Project R.O.S.E.’s main target audience is the do-it-yourself (DIY) oil changer. In Alabama, the number of DIYers remains high.
Partners in Recycling
Project R.O.S.E. depends on quick-lube facilities, auto service centers and auto parts retailers who volunteer to accept used motor oil for recycling. County and municipal governments encourage recycling in their communities and install tanks for used oil collection. In the smaller rural communities, owners of auto service businesses are particularly vital.
Recently, for example, Project R.O.S.E. announced a partnership with O’Reilly Auto Parts. All O’Reilly Auto Parts stores in Alabama, and throughout the Southeast, accept used motor oil from DIY oil changers.
“Part of being a good corporate citizen is participating in projects that make a difference within the markets we operate,” stated Ron Byerly, vice president of advertising and marketing for O’Reilly Auto Parts. “We are extremely proud to a part of the Project R.O.S.E. initiative throughout Alabama. Protecting our environment for generations to come is very important to our company, and we have numerous recycling programs that are free to the public.”
A network of nearly 600 used oil collection sites are posted on the Project R.O.S.E. web site to make finding a recycling area convenient throughout the state (http://prose.eng.ua.edu).
Project R.O.S.E. also uses the Earth 911 database (www.earth911.org), allowing easy access to used motor oil recycling locations in Alabama via the Internet or its toll-free phone number (1-800-CLEANUP), free of charge 24 hours a day. Castrol, for one, has included information about the Earth 911 database on its packaging – some 500 million containers.
“The Earth 911 partnership is all about public and private sector entities working together to get residents the recycling and environmental information they need and want,” explained Tim Gormley, president of Earth 911. “We are working with other major lubricant brands on similar product stewardship strategies, similar to the work we have done with Castrol, and we hope to have several billion containers labeled by the end of the year to help get the word out to residents about the importance of recycling their used motor oil.”
Through dedication and hard work during the past 27 years, Project R.O.S.E. has established used oil collection sites in all 67 Alabama counties. In counties where collection resources are uncommon, Project R.O.S.E. has purchased and installed 275-gallon used oil collection tanks.
In addition to the automotive oil recycling program, Project R.O.S.E. has expanded to meet the needs of boating enthusiasts and the state’s vast farming communities. Marina R.O.S.E. was developed to help control the dumping of used motor oil in waterways. Collection sites have been established at area marinas to remind boat owners to handle oil responsibly. The Project R.O.S.E. Farm Management Program provides information through the Cooperative Extension Service, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and Farmer’s Cooperatives throughout the state.
Teaching and Reaching
Constant and consistent education is the key for a successful volunteer used oil collection program. Project R.O.S.E. efforts include:
•Staff participation as exhibitors and guest speakers at conferences and workshops at Alabama schools. Presentations focus on teacher conferences, such as the Alabama Science Teachers Association, Alabama Independent Schools Association and the Alabama Staff Development Council, where more than 1,000 teachers participate annually. Material presented includes information that teachers can incorporate in lesson plans or projects in the classroom. A used motor oil curriculum is also posted on the Project R.O.S.E. website, complete with suggested lab experiments.
•Workshops
and activities for Junior Girl Scouts (4th to 6th grades)
to earn their “Oil Up” badge. The
program provides an overview of how petroleum products play a role in everyday
life. Each girl becomes an
“environmental scientist” for the day as she participates in hands-on experiments,
such as creating and cleaning up an oil spill, locating non-point source
pollution in a nearly parking lot or stream, pretending to be a volunteer
wildlife rescue worker following an oil spill, designing maps locating the
world’s oil reserves, and exploring careers for women in the oil and gas
fields. More than 400 girls and 100
adult leaders have participated in the program during the last two years.
•An annual “Run for the Roses” 5K race, launched in 1997. This event is a fundraiser to purchase 275-gallon used oil collection tanks that are placed in rural areas of the state where other collection resources are scarce. More than 100 runners participate in the race annually and nearly 40 tanks have been placed throughout the state.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, Science, Technology and Energy Division funds Project R.O.S.E. In addition, The University of Alabama supports the program, which is headquartered in the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The funding used is not state generated but is derived from the late-1980s’ Department of Energy Oil Overcharge Fund.
The program has received essentially level funding for the past 13 years while the cost of programming steadily rises. Supplemental funding from 319 Watershed Projects and the annual “Run for the Roses” 5K race helps maintain the quality and the level of program involvement.
In 2003, the program reached nearly a half-million Alabama citizens through newspaper and magazine articles, exhibiting and speaking at conferences, conducting workshops in schools and for Girl Scout groups, radio and television interviews, and a host of other programs.
Project R.O.S.E. is recognized by the Department of Energy and the EPA as a model volunteer used oil collection program. It has received numerous awards from state and national organizations, industry groups and others, and even has advised other countries that are trying to establish used oil collection programs.
Without the partnerships of governments and corporations at local, state and national levels, used motor oil recycling in the state would be impossible. This program requires everyone in the community to work together.
That’s why it works.
Scouts compare dirty, used oil with re-refined product
from Safety-Kleen, and learn about nonpoint-source pollution from a tabletop model.
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Dr.
Gary April founded Project R.O.S.E. in 1977 and serves as its director; he is
head of the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department at the University of Alabama.
Sheri
Powell has been the coordinator of Project R.O.S.E. for 12 years
Charlotte
H. Nix has been the assistant coordinator for five years.
For
more information about Project R.O.S.E. or this article, contact the University
of Alabama Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Box 870203, Tuscaloosa, Ala. 35487-0203. Phone: (205)
348-4878. For more information about
the organizations mentioned in this article, visit the following web sites:
http://prose.eng.ua.edu