WORKING///WRITING///PLAYING///CONTACT
National Used Oil Collection Study
Robert Arner, Solid Waste Program Manager,
Northern Virginia Planning District Commission
Annandale, VA
INTRODUCTION
In May of 1996, the American Petroleum Institute (API) published a comprehensive report on used engine oil and filter collection documenting state efforts. This 1995 study (248 pages) provides valuable references on various state programs, successful methodologies, and an attempt to standardize data collection since it is acquired in a variety of ways. Also included in this report is a detailed summary of state used oil collection information, such as: contacts; collection points and types; total gallonage collected; programs funding and costs; public education methods; state used oil requirements and regulations; barriers to collection and numerous additional references describing used oil collection in the United States.
This benchmark data study, conducted by the Motor Equipment and Manufacturers Association (MEMA), documents the progress in the collection of used motor oil from do-it-yourself (DIY) customers. In 1993, approximately 240 million gallons of used oil was available for collection by the DIYs. Approximately 50 percent of drivers change their own oil while the other half have this service done by the automotive repair industry.
The DIY is an individual who removes used oil from a motor vehicle, utility engine or farm equipment that he or she owns and operates. There are millions of Americans—from blue collar workers to affluent car buffs—who change oil from their own vehicles. Often, however, other types of small quantity generators are not included this category, making a precise accounting of this activity difficult. DIYs are, however, the major source of improper disposal of used oil. This study is limited to used oil generated from vehicle engines.
Many retailers sell oil at a loss to draw customers into their stores to purchase other merchandise. Today, the number of DIYs are decreasing because of the convenience, low cost, and abundance of the quick lube shops. However, adequate education of DIY oil changes to recover their used oil is still a concern.
Used oil can become a serious problem or a valuable resource depending upon how it is managed. The fact is, one oil change contains four quarts which, when improperly disposed of, can ruin one million gallons of fresh water, thus adversely impacting fish and plant life.
SUMMARY
The National Used Oil Collection study contracted by the American Petroleum Institute found that several key factors appear to develop cost effective and efficient programs: adequately targeted educational programs; sufficient funding to establish collection programs; and convenient collection points. The keys to DIYs recycling their used oil are convenience and public education.
Major barriers to establishing collection programs are: fear of contamination of the oil by being mixed with hazardous waste, liability concerns, and lack of funding. As the investment into public education increases so does the demand for public collection points to meet this new need. For example, the 25 states that have toll-free hotlines convey a positive public education format while providing citizens with invaluable "how to" information. These states with toll-free hotlines collect twice as much used oil as states that lack this service.
KEY FINDINGS
Collection Activity
A total of 12,000 collection points for used oil have been identified in the United States. Many communities have enacted collection programs where residents drop off used oil for recycling. Some states require retailers to either post signs informing the public where to drop off used oil or require businesses selling used oil to collect DIY-generated used oil. A recent study identified 2,927 government operated facilities in 29 states. The District of Columbia collected 18 million gallons used oil in 1994, compared to 10.5 million gallons collected in 1993. In 29 states, API counted nearly 10,000 private sector used oil collection locations. These locations include: (1) service stations; (2) quick lubes; (3) mass merchandisers, and (4) vehicle dealers. Chief Auto, a mass merchandiser, found that accepting DIY used oil at its stores increased sales of other automotive purchases.
States with a Formalized Collection Program
There are two major types of collection centers: private auto service centers and municipal collection points. To increase the number of public and private used oil collection centers, many states have adopted the American Petroleum Institute (API) Model Bill or components of it. This bill establishes a state used oil fund which is designed to provide grant funding for cities and towns that wish to establish used oil drop-off or curbside collection programs. The bill also requires that the state establish a 1-800 number to provide information to residents about used
oil recycling. Other requirements include posting signs to inform the public about the 1-800 number and the need for proper collection and recycling of used motor oil. The bill also reimburses any used oil collection center for the cost associated with contaminated used oil resulting when other hazardous fluids are improperly mixed in with used oil. Texas (2 cents a quart) and South Carolina (2 cents a quart) tax retailers that sell oil and divert the funds into a grant program for local DIY programs. Certain states, such as Maryland, have enacted components of this program.
Other states, such as New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts require service stations and/or retail outlets that sell oil to accept DIY used oil. In a 1994 investigative article by the Boston Herald it was found that mandatory collection efforts were less successful with nearly half of the Boston-area sales outlets refusing to accept used oil as required by the current state law.
Curbside
Another method of collecting used oil is at the curb. Eleven states indicated this type of activity. Drop off collection programs for used oil often lack the higher participation rates attained through the convenience of curbside collection programs. Used oil may be collected along with residential rubbish and/or recyclables. Certain states have reported a substantial increase in the amount of used oil collected compared to the amount brought to collection events in a given year. Even some curbside collection programs allow residents to call their private haulers to request pick-up of their used oil.
State Requirements for Collection Centers
19 states have certification requirements for government-operated centers and 16 states (many of the same) have similar rules for private collection points. All of the states ask that centers use a licensed hauler. Some states require secondary containment. Nineteen states require collection centers to provide for periodic reports to the state and 14 states require quantity of oil collected.
Budgets for Used Oil Collections
Thirteen states have used oil collection grant programs and two are planning such specific programs. Another 14 states have general recycling grant programs that may be appropriated for used oil. General funds or some fee on the sale of lubricating oil are most popular source of funding. Funding can range from $5,000 in Iowa to $22 million dollars in California, and states can employ anywhere from less than one full time employee to as many as 30 (as in California) to administer the used oil collection programs.
Of the states providing program budget information, 40 percent of the funds were allocated to administration; 22 percent to grants; 12 percent to public education; eight percent to enforcement, and 18 percent to other costs.
Barrier to Used Oil Collection
This study found that the major hurdles participating states reported were: 91 percent cited lack of convenient recycling centers as a major obstacle; 82 percent indicated that lack of public education is a major reason why do-it-yourselfers do not participate in programs; and 47 percent of the states reported that inadequate funding is a major problem.
Regulatory Issues
As mentioned above, states that strictly regulate used oil may influence how it is collected; eight states have adopted the federal management standards, 30 states have adopted some version of the federal used oil management standards; 12 states, however, reported adopted revisions of the federal management standards. Five states list used oil as a hazardous waste.
Fate of Recovered Used Oil
Several recent studies indicate that 70-80 percent of oil placed into a vehicle is available for recovery—contrary to an old Department of Energy report that cited almost half was lost in engine use. The API asserts that 70 percent of used oil is not lost in the engine since DIYs generally drive older vehicles with wider tolerances and subsequent more wear.
Used oil burned as a fuel is considered by federal law (Used Oil Recycling Act of 1980) as recycling. From the 23 states and the District of Columbia that provided information about where the collected used oil went, the majority of the oil collected from DIYers—89 percent—is burned for energy recovery (72 percent is re-processed and 17 percent is used in space heaters). Another 8 percent is used in other non-automotive applications (e.g., phosphate mining), and 3.4 percent is re-refined into new motor oil. 24 states have some type of policy encouraging the purchase of re-refined or re-processed oil.
Oil Filter Recycling
Not only does a portion of used oil come from oil filters, but oil filter sales are a way of determining the number of oil changes performed. Approximately 400 million oil filters are produced annually in the U.S., which includes original equipment and after-market installation in passenger cars, light trucks and heavy duty applications. Approximately 75% of all used oil filters are currently disposed of in landfills. Recycling all oil filters generated in 1994 would result in the recovery of an estimated 161,500 tons of steel and 17.8 million gallons of oil.
Properly disposing of oil filters can be a problem, especially for DIYs. Oil filters are a hidden source of used oil. An undrained oil filter can contain several ounces of used oil, from one half pint (8 oz., e.g., compact car) to a full quart (32 oz., e.g., heavy duty truck). A popular selling oil filter (14% of market sales) has a capacity of 23 ounces but after hot draining for 12 hours retains 3.5 ounces of used oil. Any properly drained oil filter will contain one to eight ounces of residual oil. Realizing that 45% of passenger car filter sales are to DIYs, oil filters contain a significant part of DIY used oil. Unfortunately, many DIY used oil recycling programs do not accommodate filter recycling. Only 1% to 2% of DIY generated oil filters are estimated to be recycled. Many automotive service centers have been slow to recover filters since this may be too expensive and the filter recycling market is underdeveloped.
Oil from oil filters needs to be incorporated into current state used oil programs to decrease the volume of used oil entering the environment. Collection sites that already collect used oil may explore the collection of used oil filters. These sites include public drop-off centers, gasoline service stations, auto service centers, quick lubes, and government facility locations. Interestingly, some localities have curbside collection of oil filters along with their recycling programs, such as: Austin, Texas; Babylon, NY; Chino, CA; and Deer Park, Texas.
Recently, the State of Arkansas set up a used oil and oil filter recycling pilot drop-off program in several northeast Arkansas counties. Through this program, Nucor-Yamato Steel, located in Blytheville, Arkansas, has agreed to accept the oil filters to manufacture new steel products. The State of South Carolina is also developing a program to recover DIY generated oil filters. The state is providing grant funding to counties to expand their oil collection program to include filters.
Some states have enacted regulation on used oil filter disposal that exceed federal requirements. Both California and Rhode Island consider used oil and used filters a hazardous waste unless recycled, compacted and/or shredded. The states of Texas and Minnesota ban landfill disposal of used oil filters from businesses and DIYs. Several other states impose additional requirements on draining procedures for oil filters, or testing requirements prior to disposal.
CONCLUSIONS
Waste oil or used oil? You still hear some officials term used oil as waste or in terms of disposal not recycling. Public education is vital if DIYs are to understand that used oil does not have to become waste oil, and that used oil filter recycling has become economically viable.
It has been numerous years since any national used oil collection study has been conducted. Decades ago, oil overcharge moneys funded these programs via state energy conservation grants allocated by the Department of Energy, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency funded studies to track this activity in development of used oil management standards and regulations.
As with other recyclables developing standardized methodologies, measurements and reporting requirements are critical to make an apples-to-apples comparison. The amount of used oil generated has increased in the last decade because more efficient automotive engines have resulted in much less oil lost by the engine.
The API study is an invaluable reference of do-it-yourself used oil recycling collection programs. The message is clear: without modest funding, public education and grant programs for collection points can not stimulate increased used oil recycling. Local governments rely on the volunteer efforts of private sector used oil collection as an invaluable public service to complement their municipal recycling programs. The draining and recycling of used oil filters is another important developing public and government partnership that must be maintained.
Roughly 20 percent of all the total used oil generated is produced by the DIY oil change market. Of this, it can be estimated that nearly 75 percent of oil does not become recycled and is "lost" in the environment. This may represent half of all the used oil discarded in the United States. The API study outlines numerous options to create greater incentives and awareness of used oil recycling. Further, public/private cooperative efforts may prevent used oil from being disposed. API's study is a powerful reference source that should be used to help abate serious environmental problems caused by unrecycled used oil.
API's National Used Oil Collection Study, Publication No. 1830, (Order No. B183010, is available for $25 per copy (plus shipping and handling and local sales tax) from API, Publications and Distribution Section, 1220 L Street, N.W., Washington D.C 20005. Telephone 202-682-8375.
TOP