stomp out the number one cause of water pollution in the world

8/13/2019 Stomp Out The Number One Cause of Water Pollution In The World

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/stomp-out-the-number-one-cause-of-water-pollution-in-the-world 1/21

By Steve Kube



Stomp Out The Number One Cause Of Water Pollution

Permission to use Calvin & Hobbes granted by the publisher.

I’ve dealt with used motor oil for nearly a half century. Starting with changing the oil in the mini-bike I built in seventh grade and continuing through the years with go-carts, motorcycles, cars,

and trucks. I never paid much attention to the used oil I generated until I read in a ParadeMagazine article that it was the number one cause of water pollution in the world. I was amazedand intrigued. I started to study the situation from many different perspectives to understand it,but I always returned to the viewpoint of the shade-tree mechanic changing his own oil. It is myfirm belief that in order to prevent the dumping of this resource into the environment, the systemfor collecting used iiil must be as efficient as the system for distributing fresh oil, and it needs tobe as readily available. The solution I propose herein fulfills these requirements.

Contact me directly for further information, strategic planning, and speaking engagements. Steve Kube stevekube@ gmail.com

Page of2 21




Introduction

More water in the world is polluted by used motor oil that anything else. Tens of millions of do-it-yourselfers (DIY-ers, or DIYs) who change their own oil, lack an adequate system for recyclingthe used oil they generate three or four times a year. The discreetly, or openly pour it into theenvironment. Down storm sewers, behind garages, or along fence lines to inhibit plant growth,a gallon here, a gallon there, the oil flows. IN the US alone, more than 400 million gallons of itare dumped each year. The oil follows the same ubiquitous route of water, each gallon of oilruining a million gallons of water as it wends its way downstream. Some seeps into the watertable, and underground rivers, most of it runs the course of watersheds, poisoning life at thebase of our biosphere. Some areas are impacted much more strongly than others. The Chesapeake Bay for example,

was dying from the effects of used motor oil and other pollutants. The tremendous watershedfeeding the Chesapeake Bay delivers massive volumes of pollutants to a delicately balancedeco-system, which eventually became overwhelmed by them. Through concerted effort theproblems were confronted and the downward spiral was reversed. The Chesapeake Bay,though it comprises a large area, is only a small part of our planet-wide eco-system. We arefortunate in having witnessed the decline of that system, and learning what it takes to reversethe trend. The urgency of our problems have been brought into perspective and the solution,stopping the pollution at the source, has been proven. The Chesapeake Bay is recovering froma near death experience, but the planet as awhile is still heading towards disaster. Each of our environmental problems can and must be handled if we are to survive on Earth. Bytanking on one problem and dealing with it I hope we can learn how to better handle each of the

other problems in turn. Here I take on the issue of used motor oil, the number one cause ofwater pollution in the world.

Since each source point (each individual DIY), delivers nearly insignificant volumes onto theenvironment at any one time, there are no dramatic photos of film footage depicting theequivalent of forty-five thousand gallons per hour being dumped, twenty-four hours per day,year round, here in the US alone. The impact of such visual aides would undoubtedly havegalvanized us to act long ago to handle the problem, much as the footage of the Exxon Valdeez

Page of3 21




spill of 11 million gallons of crude into Prince William sound did. The nearly instant feedback

from that spill, the death and destruction, was like a bullet wound. The effects of DIYs dumpingused crankcase oil ingot he environment are slow, like cigarette smoking, and no less deadly. There is a management system for handling used motor oil, but for the most part it handles bulkused oil generated at professional oil change facilities. It transports used oil from places wheresignificant volumes are generated to the re-refineries and other end users. The problem is thatDIYs as individuals do not generate significant volumes of used oil, so the system ignores them.It’s not that the existing system is bad, it’s just that it doesn’t accommodate the huge number ofindividuals who generate one or two gallons of used oil at a time. As an analogy consider what itwould be like if we had our present air transportation system, which is designed to carry largenumbers of passengers from airport to airport, but we we didn’t have adequate groundtransportation to get the individuals to the airport. In this case we wouldn’t fault the air

transportation system, but rather the ground transportation system. The same holds true forused motor oil. There’s no question that used oil is a resource that can and should be recycled. Quite asideform the negative impact it has when dumped, used oil has a positive value when it’s recycled.Once a significant volume of has been collected in a given location, it has a value greater thanthe cost of transporting it to a re-refinery or other end user. The problem lies in the collection. For simplification I refer to professionals involved in recycling used oil as the managementsystem. They are the haulers, handlers, managers of collection programs, governmental bodies,and legislators concerned with used oil. I also refer to re-refineries, re-processors, and all otherusers of large volumes of used oil simply as end users. Re-refineries aren’t technically endusers because oil is turned back into useable motor oil which creates a closed loop for the oil,but I’m concerned with the collection and delivery of the used oil to these and other facilities.Another simplification is to simply refer to used motor oil as used oil. There are other used oilsbeing generated that are generally vein managed properly, but they are not discussed here.These simplifications are intended to help the communication of the central message herein. I make a strong distinction between DIY used oil and NON-DIY used oil. NON-DIY used oilrefers to used motor oil collected at service stations, quick-lube facilities, etc. This oils is, for themost part, being managed properly. The system for recycling NON-DIY oil works very well.

Page of4 21




However, DIY used motor oil is a different subject all-together. It is not being managed properlyand is the focus of this writing. There are issues concerning used oil that I don’t delve into, again because they aren't central tothe topic. For example, a host of questions can be raised bout the disposition of thecontaminants in used oil after an end user processes or burns it. These question are valid, but

they have been addressed elsewhere. Much has been written about the worsening condition of our environment. Most of the popularmaterial brings up so many unresolved issues that the reader is left with a sense of dread andhopelessness about our ability to confront and handle so many problems. Holes in the ozonelayer, overpopulation, air pollution, dangerous pesticides, and on and on until we feel like givingup. The proper approach to tackling many probes is to take on one problem and solve it thentake on another an solve it, and continue in this fashion. This way a lot of confusion is avoided.With this short booklet I zero in on a specific problem and offer a straight-forward solution.

EXCEPT FOR CURBSIDE PICKUP THERE AREN’T

ANY DIY USED OIL COLLECTION PROGRAMS

The existing used oil recycling system, except for curbside pickup programs, is not designed to

collect DIY used oil. It is designed to haul bulk oil from oil change facilities and other collectionpoints to end users. This system of picking up relatively large volumes of oil from a relativelysmall number of locations is very different from collecting exceedingly small volumes of oil fromthe tens of millions of DIYs across the country, and around the world. Most of the efforts of government and industry to increase recycling of DIY used oil havefocused on expanding the current NON-DIY used oil collection system. These efforts havelargely been through inducements to existing oil change facilities, and auto parts stores toaccept DIY used oil, and through placement of additional holding tanks to store used oil.

In addition to the above efforts there’s been a general awareness campaign which in effet callsout to the DIY to bring his oil into the system. This approach focuses on the need sof the bulk iiil

hauler to have a significant volume of used oil accumulated ready to collect, and largely ignoresthe needs of the DIY. This top down approach as not worked well and never will work to thedegree necessary, unless the needs of the DIY are addressed as a priority. The DIYs, because there are so many of them, have the single most significant role in recyclingtheir used oil. Therefore it is necessary to thoroughly understand his or her situation withregards to recycling. Specifically we need to understand what barriers the DIY faces when it

Page of5 21




comes to entering used oil into the management system and the available options toovercoming those barriers. All DIY used oil recycling is done through two types of programs:

1. Curbside pickup. 2. Drop-Off recycling programs.

For curbside pickup, the oil is place at the curb along with other recyclables, and themanagement system takes it from there. Drop-off programs require the DIY to carry his or herused oil to a recycling facility of some sort. They may be run by auto parts stores for example asan inducement to bring in customers, or they can be government sponsored and may bepermanent, or as in the case of household hazardous waste round-ups, they can be temporary,or traveling sites.

The key, the fundamental basic to successful DIY used lili recycling is

properly containerizing the oil for transpiration. Whether we need to

carry it a few feet from the car to the curbside, or several miles to a

drop-off site, the oil must be containerized properly prior to passing

into the management system. This simple fact is usually not given

further consideration, but it is the most important factor in recycling

DIY used oil and as such, it deserves thorough examination.

That usable containers are abundant and should therefore present no problem is a hugeassumption that should not be made. While various containers of one sort or another aretypically available to anyone changing his or her motor oil, each container will have pros andcons, not only to the DIY but to the management system as well. This interface between theDIY and management is critical. Containerizing and passing the container to management hasto happen as smoothly and and in as streamlined a fashion as possible. The managementsystem would like to utilize containers with standard characteristics such as being clearly

labeled, unbreakable, properly sealed, etc. The DIY’s most important factors are: availabilityand convenience. if we concede priority to the DIY we need to know what containers fill his orher needs, and then if necessary, adjust the management system accordingly. To determine which container the DIY should use we have to examine the available options. Inother words, before we go telling the DIY what container he should use, we need to know whatcontainer he can use.

Page of6 21




Here are the options available to the DIY for containerizing his used oil: Store Bought Containers 1. Disposable containers expressly for oil changes, such as plastic bags inside cardboard

boxes (I don’t know if these are available any longer but they used to be very common) 2. Re-usable containers designed for changing oil. Store bought disposable containers add cost to the oil change process, they may or may not beavailable when needed, and they are environmentally unsound so we dismiss them right away.

Containers From Around The House 1. Miscellaneous containers such as milk juges, bleach bottles, anti-freeze bottles, soda

bottles, etc… 2. Empty oil bottles

Re-useable containers purchased for oil changes are intended to be sealed and transported to arecycling facility once the oil enters them. It is an assumption that re-usable containers, whichmust be emptied prior to re-use, will actually be carried to a recycling facility or otherwise bedealt with in a responsible manner between uses. However, a number of obstacles can thwarttheir proper use. Many DIYs change oil in more than one care at a time, (his and her vehiclesfor example). If the re-useable container holds less than the oil capacity of the engines he will

be working on, he will need more than one of the re-useable containers, or he will nee dot travelto a disposal site after working on the first vehicle and before he can work on the secondvehicle. If the oil change is done on a holiday or after normal business hours, recycling facilitiesmay be closed and the oil may get dumped into the environment. Also, none of those devicesare suited to curbside collection programs.

Curbside Collection

There are hundreds of curbside collection programs in the US and since these are among themost successful DIY used oil programs going, we’ll start by examining which containers workbest with them. All curbside collection programs exclusively endorse the use of sealable plastic containers.Since some curbside programs distribute one gallon plastic containers for DIY used oil, let’s lookinto this practice first.

Page of7 21




One motivation for distributing one gallon jugs (basically milk jugs), is toe standardize thecollection process. However, the vast majority of vehicles on the road have a capacity of fivequarts. A four quart, gallon jug imposes a serous limitation on the DIY. The justification forignoring this limitation has been that since engines typically expend oil, leaking or burning it,there is only four quarts remaining in the sump when the oil change is started. This may be true

some of the time, but it’s a bold assumption which states in effect that the DIY will not have therecommended amount of oil in their engine when it comes time to change the oil. One curbside program, recognizing the above limitation and assumption, distributes two ofthese gallons jugs to its constituents. Unfortunately, we cannot know how much oil a DIY willgenerate between curbside pickups. We don’t know how many cars, trucks, motorcycles andother engines will be worked on. Second guessing by distributing one or two jugs is slipshod atbest. This practice also generates unnecessary problems and expense for the recyclingprogram operators. In one of the programs, after the jugs have been emptied, they are washedout prior to sending them back to the DIY. This is a labor intense process. Also, after two orthree uses. the jugs need to be replaced. This too is costly. To make matters worse, sometimes

the customers don’t know what to do with the jugs and they toss them in the trash!

The Use Of Miscellaneous Containers Where the only guideline for curbside pickup of used oil has been “Plastic containers with screwon lids” a wide assortment of containers have been used. Some with significant drawbacks. The two most common prelims with using miscellaneous containers are: 1. Contamination from prior contents 2. Lack of proper identification of the current contents as used oil. The use of unwashed bleach bottles and anti-freeze bottles for example can have a seriousnegative affect on used oil and its recycle-ability. Finding out what is actually inside amiscellaneous container, (oil?, paint?, solvent?, other?), falls into the hands of the recyclingagency, the one doing the pickup.

Just picking up any old container from around the house can cause too many unpredictableproblems. If you ask the operators of recycling programs what kind of containers get used, youfind that just about any and all types get used with an assortment of difficulties.

Page of8 21




Original Container Return

At the end of every oil change the DIY will always have enough empty oil bottles to hold all ofthe used oil that just came out of his engine. This is significant! The original oil bottles areclearly labeled, unbreakable, can be properly sealed, and they were designed for the solepurpose of containerizing and transporting that much oil. They are convenient and useable byboth the DIY and the management system. They are also made of high quality, highlyrecyclable HDPE plastic.

Page of9 21




Since the prefect container are always available exactly when they are needed and you’ll nevernot have enough of them when you need them, distributing containers to the DIY for anyrecycling program is redundant and wasteful. The only real problem facing the DIY is transferring the used oil from the engine to the originaloil bottles. However, this same problem exists if you demand he use a gallon jug or other

container. For as long as oil has been sold in resealable plastic bottles, some DIYs have been using them,among other containers, to hold their used oil. This is not a new concept. By expanding the useof the original oil containers to recycle used oil we benefit in a surprising number of ways. Thefirst and foremost area of benefit is to the DIY. By endorsing the use of original container return(OCR), we allow the DIY to use the only container that is always available, in the right quantity,exactly when he needs them. Another prime benefit to the DIY comes through the inherentconvenience of having properly containerized used oil. Just as fresh or finished oil, is properly containerized and distributed to the DIY around the world

with no time limits and through various distribution routes, properly containerized used oil canbe entered into recycling programs with no time limits, and through various collection routes. In short, the single most beneficial aspect of OCR is convenience. Both in that the empty oilbottles are always available when needed and in that it permits the DIY the greatest amount offreedom as to when and how he enters his or her used oil into a recycling program. By cateringto the needs of the DIY, we increase the opportunity for him to participate in recycling used oil.

Curbside Pickup and OCR

Let’s take a look at how curbside programs can benefit from OCR of used oil. The first immediately recognizable benefits come from using clearly labeled, standardcontainers that were specifically designed to hold motor oil. No small thing. When a curbsideoperator retrieves OCR used oil he can be fairly certain of the contents of the bottles.Ordinances to prohibit reuse of oil bottles for other purposes can increase the certainty. Also, because oil bottles are most nearly standard in shape and size, they can be handled instandard ways. Secondly, OCR minimizes the opportunity for contamination. The prior contents are alwaysmotor oil, and the bottles are most nearly filled to capacity when used oil is put in them. Thisleave little room to add anything else to the container. Again, ordinances, signage and labelscan be used to help along these lines.

Page of10 21




Thirdly, this OCR system saves money for curbside programs. Curbside operators can eliminatethe on-going cost of buying and distributing containers, cleaning them, replacing them, andredistributing them.

Regarding saddle tanks and racks used in curbside programs: Some curbside programs have racks mounted on their trucks to hold containers of DIY oil, whileothers use saddle tanks. Saddle tanks require operators to open individual containers and drainthem into the saddle tank en-route. This is a limited practice with dubious benefits if any. Opencontainers in the field invite spills and adulteration, i.e. heavy rain flowing into the tanks, etc.When you see how fast operators are required to move you understand. Bottles of oil areopened and dumped as fast as the workers can go. A container of solvent for example wouldnot be caught or prevented from being adde to the saddle tank. In a video promoting curbsideused oil collection, the American Petroleum Institute shows this quite clearly. In their video nochecking of the contents of the containers is being done tag all. With OCR there is no need for

saddle tanks and the difficulties that come with them, because the bottles can be efficientlyhandled with the oil still in them.

OCR And Drop Off Recycling

Once again, the key to using Drop-Off recycling programs is proper containerization andconvenience. With OCR the DIY can carry his used oil to a drop-off site when it is most

convenient for him to do so. This contrasts very sharply with re-usable containers that, once full,must be emptied before they can be used again. By safely storing used oil until it’s convenient to turn it over to the used oil management system,the DIY will be more inclined to participate in recycling. With OCR, a wider array of outletoptions can become available to the DIY which will also increase convenience dramatically. Tounderstand how OCR could dramatically increase the number of drop-off sites, we need tounderstand current used oil drop-off sites. Collection sites have capabilities for storing significant volumes of bulk used oil. These siteshave storage tanks that must conform to strict guidelines, both in construction, and operation,which drive up the cost of owning and operating a recycling facility. Even a simple tank thatcomplies with E.P.A. guidelines, one with a 300 gallon capacity, costs over $3,000.00 to install.Added to the installation and operating costs is the cost of space requirements, includingcorridor space around the tank. Because of the often permanent nature of installing a collection tank, fewer potential candidatesfor collection oil are able to offer the service on a trial basis. Small auto parts stores forexample, with little room to spare fo r stank and little profit to risk, are less willing to get involvedunder these requirements.

Page of11 21




* * *

The way OCR can overcome these obstacles and increase the number of recycling points is by

eliminating the need for a tank at most of these collection points. OCR can do this because ofthe ideal containerization the original oil bottles provide. Instead of dumping the used oil out ofour original containers into a holding tank at each recycling point, we can transfer the OCR usedoil, still in the original containers, from one recycling point to another. Just as quart bottles offresh oil are distributed , quart bottles of used oil can be collected. Auto parts retailers, and others who sell motor oil at retail, would be able to accept OCR used oilfrom their customers and pass it on to the warehouse level in the original containers. Manythousands of retailers would then be able to act as low volume recycling points and a relativelysmall number of warehouses would be able to act as large volume recycling points. The reasonthis would work well with in the auto parts retail and warehouse distribution system is this:

Smaller auto parts stores rely on speedy access to parts in warehouses. The retailers typicallyhave many deliveries of parts form the warehouses each day. The delivery person coning fromthe warehouse will be able to pick up the OCR used oil from the retail locations with eachdelivery and carry it back to the warehouse. This will eliminate accumulation of large volumes ofused oil at the retail locations. To facilitate this operation, small crates or tubs, can be used totote a manageable number of OCR bottles of oil at a time. This is similar to milk crates forexample. With small volumes like this no special tanks or special operator licenses orregulations need apply. A variation on this type program would be where low volume recycling points accepting OCR,can call a local recycling agency to come pickup the oil when enough has been accumulated. Idon’t know if it’s still in practice but the city of Glendale, California had a “milk-run” program like

this. They equipped a pickup truck with a holding tank and would dispatch the truck to pickupsmall volumes. This must be one of the most expensive programs going. The reduce the costthey could use OCR with the crate concept and skip the special tank on a truck.

Page of12 21




Dealing With OCR DIY Used Oil Once It’s Been Accumulated

Under ideal circumstances, OCR used oil would travel fro the DIY to the final destination,passing through various hands along the way, without ever taking the oil out of the plastic

bottles. This would mirror the very efficient distribution of fresh oil from the refinery to thewarehouses, retailers, and the DIY. However, instead of neatly staking packaged cases of usedoil onto pallets and loading these onto trucks for transport, we can simply toss the bottles ofused oil into a roll-off container designed for this purpose. A roll-off container for OCR used oil must be leak proof. The back can be sloped like a dumptruck. It would also be covered instead of open on the top. It would have several hatches forputting the bottles of oil in. Across the top at the back would be a lid that would open to dumpthe contents into a special hopper at a recycling facility.

When a roll-off container at a large collection point was nearing capacity, an empty would be

called for. When the empty was delivered, the full roll-off would be taken away. When it reachedthe recycling facility of the end user, it would be tipped up to allow the bottles of OCR used oil toslide out into a hopper for processing. Use of the roll-off container system allows us to work within and existing world-wide system oftransport. And very importantly, since the oil is contained within the individual plastic bottles, weachieve secondary containment as soon as they are put in the roll-off. Any oil that happens toleak from a plastic bottle would be contained by the integrity of the roll-off container. Actually, if

Page of13 21




the tubs or crates the bottles are toted in to this roll off are sound, they too will serve assecondary containment vessels. So, this is even safer than the system fresh oil uses as so faras potential for spills goes.

To efficiently handle OCR used oil, end users will need automated equipment for separating theoil from the bottles. Equipment to do this already exists. Shredding the bottles can be doneusing different methods, crushing, rolling, cutting, etc. Once the bulk of the oil is out of thebottles they can be further processed to turn them into smaller pieces of plastic which can thenbe run through a chip wringer. A chip wringer, like those used to separate metal chips form cutting oils, especially in the aircraftand automobile industries, have been used for decades. One manufacturer states the chips arespun with a force equal to 890 G’s, which slings all but a very thin film of the used oil from thechips. If the city of San Jose, CA were to implement this system of OCR used oil, in addition to the50,000 gallons of oil that is currently being recovered each month, they would recover about20,000 pounds of plastic from the oil bottles each month as well. Put another way, Each month,200,000 oil bottles would be recycled in San Jose as well as the 50,000 gallons of oil. In the Los Angeles area an estimated 25 million gallons of DIY used oil are vein grumped intothe environment annually. If a used oil re-refinery in the area installed the equipment to handleOCR used oil they would be in a position to receive all the OCR oil from the entire region. Theywould also be in a position to reclaim about ten million pounds of plastic each year, or about 100million oil bottles. When such large volumes of plastic are generated the roll-off system can be employed to catch

the plastic when it exits the chip wringer to transport it to a plastic recycling facility where it canbe properly washed and re-pelletized.

Page of14 21




Because of the way this system would mirror the distribution of fresh oil, it can , and properlyshould be implemented on a regional or nation-wide basis. Just as finished oil has a minimum ofrestrictions to crossing state, county, and city boundaries, so should OCR used oil be free tocross imaginary lines of demarkation. The primary goal of effectively dealing with the problem ofused moro oil should be kept upper most in mind when delineating regulations regardingtransporting it.

Implementing The System

In researching the problems with used oil I spoke with many people involved in recycling ingeneral and particularly with those involved in recycling used oil and plastic. I also spoke withpeople representing environmental organizations, retailers, and many individuals. In speaking with buyers at retail stores I ran into a general ignorance of the subject, (though Ibelieve this is changing since then). Most of them aren’t aware of the magnitude of the problemand /or don’t feel it is their responsibility to handle it. In fact, some retailers were still sellingdisposable plastic bags inside cardboard boxes for draining oil into and tossing into the trash.Some retailers are aware of the problem and actually contribute to solving it. More and moreauto parts stores are accepting DIY used oil in their stores. In the public sector I came across a wide range of attitudes. Some community leadersexpressed a disdainful attitude toward the public, to the loin of stating the public in general aretoo stupid to recycle properly. Other community leaders that I spoke with, those directlyresponsible for the environmental affairs of the community, were clearly most interested in

perpetuating and expanding their positions, with no view towards efficiency. One big city official,without even listening to what I had to say, simply accused me of having something to sell, andturn away without further interest in hearing about any potential solutions to the problems. Onthe other end of the spectrum I spoke with public servants who are dedicated to preserving theenvironment, and doing so with the wisest use of public funds. The attitudes of the waste haulers I spoke with varied similarly to those in the public sector.Some are interested in getting the job done efficiently. Others are only in profit and perpetuatingcostly and inefficient systems. Some end users of used oil were very helpful and informative. Some welcome the opportunity torecycle used oil bottles, others do not. A lot of the environmental groups I spoke with are caught in a struggle to survive, alwaysseeking funding, never really getting any permanent solutions to anything established. There is a cross-section of the emotional levels of society represented in the people I spoke withduring my research. I heard from the apathetic, the antagonistic, the mildly interested, theenthusiastic and just about everyone in-between. When it comes to resolving this problemsome people won’t do anything one way or another, to help or hinder implementing a solution.

Page of15 21




Others will attack, not just this solution, but any solution. It seems to be in their nature. Some

will agree with proposals but won’t be motivated to act. Some will claim they are to busy to doanything, even though they are on the public payroll and were hired to deal with these issues.Some are ready to go but lack the funding.

Those in a position to profit most from recovering hundreds of millions of gallons are the largevolume end users, the re-refineries and large volume consumers of it. A minimum number ofthese end users, scattered across the continent, when properly equipped, could consume all theOCR used oil in North America. By focusing on establishing these outlets by providing the funding to fit them with the necessaryequipment, they will in turn be able to most efficiently establish collection points for DIY used oil.Curbside collection programs will be able to generate more used oil through increasedparticipation and lower their costs at the same time. Point of purchase return will be able toexpand greatly, with the greatest influence of market forces to increase participation. Going about solving the problem in this fashion resembles putting a carrot in front of a mule toget him to move in the desired direction, instead of getting behind him and pushing. Funding, through government grants, should be used to overcome the largest risk inimplementing this system, which is installing the equipment to handle very large volumes ofOCR used oil. Putting in the infrastructure for the described OCR used oil collection system will be much lesscostly than trying to expand the existing used oil recycling system to accommodate the tens ofmillions of DIYs in the country,. For the same amount o money it costs to install a bulk oilholding thank that only holds a few hundred gallons of oil, we can buy a roll-off container thatcan hold several thousand gallons of OCR oil. Where a bulk tank can accommodate DIY’s in anarea limited by practical driving distances for the DIY, a roll-off container and OCR canaccommodate DIY’s over a much, much larger area, through retail return, which is alreadycovered by the warehouse distribution system.

Page of16 21




Collecting Small Volumes Of OCR Used Oil

OCR can be implemented efficiently even without the participation of the end users in thesystem. Instead of relying on end users to process large volumes of OCR used oil, the bottlescould be processed in smaller volume using the same technology. A curbside collection programbringing in thousands of gallons per month would be able to lower operating costs byprocessing OCR used oil rather than emptying by hand and managing thousands of containerscollected from the DIY. Larger waste hauling companies contorting with many cities in a regiontypically have consolidation yards where the recyclables from many cities are brought togetherand sorted prior to sending them to recyclers. These waste haulers are likely candidates fortaking advantage of OCR in a big way, even without participation by an end user having specialprocessing equipment. The further down the line the OCR is used however, the more benefits

we see. While some curbside collection programs have been very successful in generating largevolumes of DIY used oil, most have not. Even some bigger cities that distribute containers forDIY used oil have only generated three to four thousand gallons of used oil per month. Smallcities can be expected generate even less than this. For these operators, dealing with OCR oilmanually would be practical, although again, it would be most effect to simply deposit the quartbottles into a roll-off container and to have the roll-off carried away when it filled up. An alternative for small communities looking to begin a program of recycling use doiil, or toimprove an existing one, is to approach operators of oil change facilities and offer them simpleracks for draining quart bottles into their holding tanks. While this wouldn’t constitute a collection

program per se, it would acknowledge the availability of the original containers to to DIY and getthe ball rolling in a productive direction with minimal cost. At a later date, other options forhandling OCR will come available.

General Barriers to Recycling Used Oil Dealing with used oil is fraught with potential liabilities. Spillage, contamination that wouldrender the oil a hazardous waste and very expensive to dispose of, the potential for fire, etc.Each of these things makes dealing with used motor oil a less than attractive proposition.Ignoring the problem won’t help though. We do have ago address it and hopefully we’ll do it inthe most effective and efficient manner possible. A lot of communities, agencies, companies,and others who are expected to address and handle this issue are ignoring it. Ignorance andapathy are the biggest barriers to solving this problem. Underneath the ignorance and apathylies a lot of confusion and conflicting interests. Much of the confusion over how to recycle used oil stems from a lack of standards. Even thevarious campaigns to educate the public on the issues fail to adopt standards in their materials.One campaign uses a symbol resembling a fish hood, another uses a stylized drop of oil with a

Page of17 21




recycling symbol inside with the word oil in the center. Still another uses what looks like ableeding rose. If all these campaigns used the same logo the total affect would be greater thanthe sum of the effects of each individual campaign. Ideally, standard symbols would be used atall used oil recycling facilities in the world, regardless of the methods adopted. A clear andsimple logo would in time become universally understood and contribute greatly to channelingDIY used oil into the management system. Too often there’s a lack of communication between public and private sectors when it comes torecycling used oil. For example, in most if not all areas with curbside collection, there has beenno attempt to correlate the activities of the retailers selling motor oil with the collection of usedoil. Retailers in these areas sell devices for changing oil that have no application to the curbsidecollection programs. Informing DIY’s of what to do with used oil at the point where new motor oilis sold would go a long way towards recycling it.

Increase Demand On The Final Product Another way to increase recycling of used oil is to increase the demand for the final products,specifically re-refined used oil, energy recovered from used oil, and any other product of usedoil, and the plastic used in the bottles. Tax breaks and other incentives should be in place to generate more demand for these

products. One way would be to require government agencies to give priority to purchasing re-refined oils. The military alone would use a fair amount of it. Police, fire departments, publicworks departments, public transpiration systems, etc. use a huge amount of motor oil. Since thequality of re-refined used oil is equal to virgin oil there’s no compelling reason this requirementshouldn’t be implemented as soon as possible. utilities and industrial users that are able to burnused oil efficiently to generate electricity should be given incentives that would increase thedemand for this resource as well.

Page of18 21




With this said, we still need ot take nto account the inherent difference between NON-DIY usedoil and DIY used oil. Unless the increased demand for used oil was terrific, which is an unlikelyscenario, the demand for the very small volumes the individual DIY generates is till unlikely tohave sufficient value to cause him or her to recycle it on that basis alone. However, with the OCR system new possibilities emerge from increasing the demand for used

oil. When the revenue large volumes of used oil generates more than offsets the cost ofaccumulating the oil, it will incentivize the accumulation of large volumes of OCR used oil. WithOCR and point of purchase return as outlined earlier, through the auto parts warehousedistribution system, warehouses will be in tha position to profitably collect used oil. With theadded benefit of increasing customer traffic for participating retailers, auto parts warehousesand their retail outlets could ultimately compete for DIY used oil. In fact it’s possible that if OCRcollection were in place, competition among retailers to provide such a service would bepractical and cost effective under the current demand for large volumes of used oil. Many large auto parts retail chains have installed holding thanks in their stores to accept DIYused oil. Customers bring container of used oil to the store, an employee pours the oil into the

holding tank, then gives the container back to the DIY. As mentioned earlier the cost of the tankis significant, the space the tanks require is significant, the cost of hang the tank emptied issignificant, and the cost of the labor involved is significant. With OCR all of these costs will godown and thousands of auto parts retailers will be able to participate in collecting used oil.

Fault Finding There are no perfect solutions to the problems of recycling used motor oil, there are only bestsolutions. What we need to keep in mind is the mission of proposed solutions. OCR of used oil

opens the way to dramatically increase participation in recycling this resource. In evaluatingsolutions the over-riding consideration should be: which course of action does the greatest goodfor the greatest number. Is it possible to set parochial interests aside and harmonize effortsacross political, commercial, geographic and other boundaries?

Because motor oil is sold in resealable plastic bottles around the world, use motor oil can becaptured and recycled using OCR everywhere. From third world countries to fully industrializednations, from villages to major metropolitan areas, DIYs would be able to participate moreeffectively in recycling by using OCR. There’s no question about it.

Redemption Value On Motor Oil Research conducted by the University of Illinois Center for Solid Waste Management, was wellas research done by others shows that a redemption value on used motor oil would providesignificant incentive for the DIY to recycle it. I agree somewhat, but the system must be efficientfor it to work. Currently in California there is a four cents per quart redemption value on used oil,but outlets for claiming the rebate aren’t generally available (as of 1994). One concern that

Page of19 21




springs to mind is the potential for unscrupulous DIYs to add water to the oil to increase thevolume (and there are much worse things they could add to it).

One of the biggest faults of the system being developed in California is the money used tofinance the programs would be entirely spent on rebates if the program thoroughly

accomplished it’s goal. However, it is expected that so much oil will continue to be lost, thatthere will always be enough money remaining in the system to pay for administration anddevelopment costs. This amounts to admitting defeat even before starting. This system is a dis-incentive to the total recycling of oil and an incentive to inefficient management.

Ultimate Success

The success of these systems absolutely depends on an understanding of the differencebetween NON-DIY and DIY used oil. It requires a focus on solving the problem of containerizingthe DIY used oil properly so it can then be turned over to the management system. Specificallyto help enable the DIY to conveniently put the used oil back into the bottles his fresh oil came in.

Money spent on that aspect of the system will pay off more than speeding it on any other area.That is square one. Get the used oil into the original oil bottles.

Where funds are available and the volume of OCR DIY used oil will be large enough, it makesthe most sense to work in concert with the end user of the used oil, to install the equipment forprocessing it. This equipment could even be fabricated in sections, carried to the site and

installed on a permanent, or semi-permanent basis. This would allow for trials. Modularequipment like this can be fabricated and shipped around the world once the designs areproven.

Roll-off containers are low cost components of the system and easily multiplied as auto partswarehouses come on line and participate.

Working from a State level, and cooperatively across state lines, is the way to implement plansthat would supersede the domain of parochial interests. It will take some leadership but in theoverall scheme of things, this isn’t a massive undertaking and it works with the free marketsystem to such an extent that the system could be turned entirely over to the free market once itwas put in place.

Government agencies considering empowering a body of overseers to implement a used oilrecycling effort should give thought to establishing performance goals. These should be in theform of statistics on the volumes of used oil recycled over given periods of time, as well as thecost to do it. These figures should then be compared to other recycling programs to find outwhat works best, in terms of volume of oil recovered and the cost to do it. Once the bestsystems are identified they can be implemented in other areas.

Page of20 21

stomp out the number one cause of water pollution in the world

Documents