How is oil recycled?

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I'm curious what happens to all of that recycled oil.

Can anyone explain the process of recycling oil
 
When I brought my old car in for transmission service, the guy was using old engine oil and transmission fluid to heat his shop. Not sure if that counts as "recycling," but I guess it beats dumping it in a storm drain.
 
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There are few companies that recycle oil, and one is Safety-Kleen: http://www.safety-kleen.com . For an oil to be recycled it not only has to be filtered to remove contaminants [more than just filtering is done in the process], but additives & VII's have to be replenished for it to meet the oil grade requirements and standards. Your trans service was just a flush and filtering.

When my stash runs out, I will consider using a recycled product. I hear that Super-Tech is a recycled oil, but I have not seen any documentation to back it up.
 
Originally Posted By: tom slick
take a look here
http://www.usedoil.com/nascar/re_refinery_movie.html

If you want to skip the marketing go to 4:30


Excellent video

If a previous poster was serious about Supertech being recycled, it actually makes it more attractive to me... I've got a bit of an environmentalist streak in me :)
 
My first post was in jest since the internet rumor is that ST is recycled(I have no clue if that is true).
 
I tried to track down commercially available recycled oil for a while.. THe fact is that federal, state and local goverments are buying it all up not leaving much for retail.
 
In Canada, Supertech is made by Safety-Kleen and appears to be recycled, at least for the conventional grades.
 
Originally Posted By: ProfPS
When my stash runs out, I will consider using a recycled product. I hear that Super-Tech is a recycled oil, but I have not seen any documentation to back it up.

There is no documentation to back that up, because it is not true.
 
"Re-Refined" oil is still pretty expensive when competing with all the new stuff that's made. I'm still convinced that lubricants are just a value added co-product of the cracking process (you have to do something with them). Supply streams are more cost effective for the new stuff (collection of used oil has got to be more expensive) and the process and content costs are the same or close to the same for both.

Recycled is a misnomer in most cases. It's usually (or so I recall) used as fuel.
 
Safety Kleen is already in the hazmat disposal business, I'd bet that's why they are one of the few exploring rerefining. Their costs are offset by their customers paying for oil disposal services and they utilize existing collection/distribution routes.
 
A local parts store uses Safety Kleen oil and filter recycling services. Not sure where it goes, but it's free so that's always nice. Speaking of which, I've got 5 quarts and a filter to take them still...
 
I've heard they use them to fuel big ships and also garages use it to power their oil burning heaters to keep the garage warm.
 
It is all filtered and purple dye is added and then sold for $8.47 a quart at WM.....j/k
LOL.gif
 
Years ago they sold a line of re-refined oils at Walmart. I remember this topic came up like a year ago and I emailed the nearest distributor who told me that they were trying to get the oils back on walmart shelves because of the "green" movement hopefully pushing sales this time around.
 
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