Recycling Dirty Engine Oils: How To Do It And Why
When you visit an auto shop to have your vehicle's oil changed, does your shop recycle that oil? You may want to consider moving over to a shop that does recycle engine oils. Here is how the oil is recycled and why you would want to participate in an engine oil recycling program.
Used Oil Is Collected
The used oil that is drained off when you have an oil change is collected and placed in steel drums. Once several steel drums of the stuff has been collected, it is ready to be shipped to an oil recycling refinery. The auto shop then arranges a shipment of these drums to the oil recycling refinery.
The Oil Is "Cleaned"
The oil recycling refinery empties all of the barrels of dirty engine oil into a vat. The vat processes the oil through several filters to help remove flecks of metal from the engines, which end up in the oil when the oil wears down and does not lubricate the engines effectively anymore. After the metal debris is removed, the oil is "scrubbed" of a lot of dirt, bringing it back to a stage of almost crude oil consistency. Additives that are added to car oil are removed in a process called wiped film evaporation. Now the engine oils are effectively recycled and ready for use.
Industrial Companies Use the Oil for Combustion Processes
Industrial and manufacturing companies buy the recycled oil to use as combustive fuel. This burns up most of the oil, thereby eliminating the need to store and contain used oil and prevent environmental contamination. It helps the companies do what they need to do without creating a negative impact on energy resources and fossil fuels.
Why You Should Recycle Your Engine Oil
Fossil fuels, like engine oils, are a limited resource. The more people use, the less there is, which drives up the price of everything from the oil to gasoline to products that rely on petroleum products for production and operation (like new cars). By recycling your engine oil every time you have an oil change, you are decreasing the demand on fossil fuel resources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, you are aiding the production and industrial sectors by providing them with a much-needed resource to continue producing the products consumers demand. There are so many "wins" involved in recycling engine oils that it would be a mistake not to recycle them.
Contact a company, like Small & Sons Oil Dist Co, for more information.
