Is Motor Oil a Renewable Resource?

Many machines require oil to operate or run, including airplanes, vehicles, and lawnmowers. After the oil is used once in the machine, the substance must be disposed of in a safe way to protect the environment.

According to the statistics provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), companies and people discard about 200 million gallons of spent (or used) oil every day.

We are taught that fossil fuels like natural gas and oil formed hundreds of millions of years ago. Plants and prehistoric animals that once roamed the earth died and from these buried remains, a natural decomposition process took place that required eons of time, intense heat, and pressure. This prehistoric process helped form the fuels we use today to run the modern economy.

Motor oil (and other oils) are not considered renewable resources, but there are ways to recycle and reuse various types of oil.

Why is oil non-renewable?

Oil is a non-renewable energy resource because it took millennia to form and is not easily or quickly replenished. Our current dependency on oil and high rate of usage outweighs the speed with which we can produce or extract it. Therefore, oil and some other fossil fuels are considered non-renewable resources.

About motor oil recycling

Because the focus of many environmentalists and scientists is to increase renewable energy sources, most countries are constantly seeking ways to re-use and recycle fuels. Moving towards green energy can help alleviate the strain on the Earth caused by dependence on fossil fuels.

Motor oil will never go bad, and the only reason oil gets changed so frequently is that the oil becomes contaminated with dirt, water, fuel, and other engine-harming debris. Processes that have been around since the 1970s allow us to re-refine old motor oil, easily restoring it to its original condition.

Europeans have been recycling their motor oil for decades. About 50% of motor oil in Europe is re-refined after its use. In North America, however, the number is only 10% - 15%.

If companies begin to re-refine motor oil and resell it to us over and over again, we can avoid the need to drill for as much oil. Additionally, we can eliminate the 200 million gallons of oil dumped illegally in the U.S. every year.

The process

Taking recycled oil and turning it into usable oil that can go right into the engines is not quick work. The re-refining process removes the contaminants to produce the new ‘base oil.’ Next, the base oil gets blended with the dispersants, anti-foaming chemicals, and other additives that restore the oil to its original condition.

Old oil used during the process

It’d be great if 1 gallon of used oil could make 1 gallon of motor oil that can be used again in the vehicles, however, it’s not possible. 1 gallon of recycled oil makes 2½ quarts of re-refined oil that can be used in an engine.

The good news is the rest of the base oil is useful to make other lubricants including hydraulic fluid and automatic transmission fluid.

Reusing waste oil

Used oil recycling can save money without causing any damage to the environment. It also helps to decrease the need for freshly pumped or extracted fuel oil and natural gas. Today, people can recycle oil or reuse gasoline. Jet fuel reclamation, because of the volume involved, is a massive piece of the fuel reclamation pie.

CWE’s role in motor oil recycling

Clean Water Environmental adheres to the EPA’s specific requirements for used motor oil as established by RCRA 279. We collect and transport used oil and remove its Bottoms, Solids, and Water (BS&W). Industrial burners then reuse the purified oil as a No. 4 on/off-spec alternative oil fuel. (This fuel is available for sale year-round.)

Our cost-effective, fuel-to-fuel recycling is environmentally preferable to consuming limited fossil fuel resources like natural gas, coal, or No. 2 fuel.

Clean Water Environmental holds a Gasoline & Jet Fuel Reclamation/Reuse Exemption and can help customers with wastes that contain reclaimable products.