Launch of first Good Practice Guide for oil recycling banks by National Household Hazardous Waste Forum and Environment Agency

Citation

(1998), "Launch of first Good Practice Guide for oil recycling banks by National Household Hazardous Waste Forum and Environment Agency", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 50 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ilt.1998.01850dab.013

Launch of first Good Practice Guide for oil recycling banks by National Household Hazardous Waste Forum and Environment Agency

Launch of first Good Practice Guide for oil recycling banks by National Household Hazardous Waste Forum and Environment Agency

Keywords: Recycling, Oils, Environment

Britain's first guidance on how to manage oil recycling banks (ORBs) was launched by Elaine Kerrell, Secretary of the National Household Hazardous Waste Forum[1] and Phil Chatfield from the Environment Agency's Oil Care Campaign. This event took place in London, on Friday 17 April 1998 at Bromley Town Hall.

The management guidance note is the result of collaboration between the National Household Hazardous Waste Forum, Environment Agency and Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Improper disposal of used lubricating oil is a common cause of water pollution and can have a substantial environmental impact.

The management guidance note aims to help reduce that impact by setting out the requirements for a user-friendly network of accessible, clean and well designed public ORBs to recycle motor oil. It focuses on used automotive lubricating oil generated by householders and gives clear advice to anyone involved in the sponsorship, management and promotion of ORBs in Britain.

Phil Chatfield, principal pollution officer, Environment Agency said: "Twenty- eight per cent of all pollution incidents currently reported are caused by oil. This could be reduced if there were more oil recycling banks that were well managed and accessible to the general public. We are hoping that this management guidance note will encourage this."

An estimated 50,000 tonnes of lubricating oil are sold to DIY motorists each year[2], and it has been estimated that between 30,000 to 40,000 tonnes of this are potentially available for collection[3]. Presently there are approximately 1,700 ORBs in the UK, or one per 34,700 population. The National Household Hazardous Waste Forum's Oil Working Group have suggested an optimum target of one ORB per 20,000 population. To achieve this target many new sites outside local authority operated civic amenity sites will be needed.

There are a number of reasons why householders do not take their oil to ORBs: lack of public awareness of location of ORBs owing to lack of local publicity; low density of ORBs; poor access to ORBs (special journeys required); poor image of facilities owing to them being dirty and badly signed; ignorance of the pollution that could be caused by improper disposal of used oil; and the inconvenience of making the journey to the ORB.

In order to achieve greatly-increased ORB use, the management guidance note recommends that the appearance and cleanliness of the banks must be of the highest order and additional sites will need to be provided. Good management is also essential for new site owners to be persuaded to accept an ORB on their premises. The guidance has been produced specifically to help address these and other problems by giving detailed information on all aspects of ORB management.

Once collected there are two possible applications for used lubricating oil: for re-refining into a recycled lubricating oil and for use as a low cost fuel for a number of industries, e.g. road stone, metals refining, rendering and start-up fuel for pulverised coal-fired powered stations. Oil collected at a public ORB for recovery is most likely to be used as a fuel because of the risks of contamination with other chemicals.

The guidance note has been jointly produced by the National Household Hazardous Waste Forum, Environment Agency and Scottish Environment Protection Agency with support from organisations within the petroleum and retail industries.

Copies are available from the Oil Care Campaign, Environment Agency by fax: +44 (0) 0118 953 5419

To locate your nearest oil recycling bank ring the Oil Bank Line: 0800 663366.

Notes

1 The National HHW Forum is an industry-led initiative established in 1993 to seek practical solutions to the many problems associated with the collection, safe disposal and recycling of household hazardous waste (HHW) and its packaging. The forum is cross-sectoral with more than 170 members representing industry, retail sector, local authorities, trade associations, voluntary organisations, universities and consultants with a direct interest in HHW.

2 CONCAWE (1996), No. 5/96, CONCAWE, Brussels.

3 Poll, A.J. (1995), Opportunities and Barriers to Waste Oil Recycling, AEA Technology.