How much oil is reclaimed or turned into new finished oil products?

[53' Stude]

So my brains been working OT lately. I do talk to the Safety Kleen folks that take our old coolant, oil and they even clean out our car washes. I’m looking for hard facts/true #’s of how much used oil is actually reclaimed, collected and turned into new finished lubricants. I do know that Safety Kleen is all around my area. Ernie’s Waste Oil takes a huge chunk of used oil and coolant. But they sell it to asphalt places and shingle companies. Dunno what they do with the used coolant. Let’s discuss this.

 

[BISCUT]

A friend of mine owns a company that picks up used oil, oil filters, and coolant. Oil is a much lower scale (not a high demand according to him) while coolant is a big $$ maker. I'd like to know the #'s too Stude. Good post. I wonder if the cost of oil is below what the market requires for a profit when all is done and said (recycled). Or maybe the tech is simply to colstly or not yet refined enough to turn a profit point where others seek to enter the market.

 

[wpod]

Some of the oil is rerefined most is probably burned or used for other things.

 

[53' Stude]

A friend of mine owns a company that picks up used oil, oil filters, and coolant. Oil is a much lower scale (not a high demand according to him) while coolant is a big $$ maker. I'd like to know the #'s too Stude. Good post. I wonder if the cost of oil is below what the market requires for a profit when all is done and said (recycled). Or maybe the tech is simply to colstly or not yet refined enough to turn a profit point where others seek to enter the market.

A member here told me that it’s still cheaper to drill for crude oil than use recycled/refined oil). Robot or human?


I spoke with the local sewage treatment plant while ago. They said they can handle it with the bacteria in use. After that they have someplace take the remainder from them.

 

[53' Stude]

Some of the oil is rerefined most is probably burned or used for other things.

Well in warm weather states/areas I doubt they burn the oil

 

[eagle14]

Well in warm weather states/areas I doubt they burn the oil

For home heating, I agree. But AFAIK used oil is mainly used as fuel in industrial boilers for manufacturing, etc.

IDK that heat has much to do with it, and industrial users are not dependent on the weather being cold or hot so they would use it pretty much year-round.

 

[Wrenchturner44]

We have a Safety Kleen processing plant outside of the city. They mostly deal in solvents I think and they are strategically located next to a cement factory where they send by products that are used to fire the cement kilns.

 

[SteveG4]

Since learning about Safety Kleen two or three years ago, I've held the same question, Stude. I'm all for stewardship and conservation, being a traditional Alaskan hunter and fisherman. Ideally, I would like to throw business to these good orgs, when applicable and relatively affordable.

 

[Fabulous50s]

I work on several "spec oil" boilers for asphalt plants. These boilers burn 100% used waste oil to heat the asphalt so it will flow. No oil is used in the making of hotmix, just oil and propane for heat.

Every garage here in Maine burns waste oil for heat in the winter.

 

[SteveG4]

I work on several "spec oil" boilers for asphalt plants. These boilers burn 100% used waste oil to heat the asphalt so it will flow. No oil is used in the making of hotmix, just oil and propane for heat.

Every garage here in Maine burns waste oil for heat in the winter.

Our local borough (county) dump, which takes in used oil, other chemicals, and electronics separately from trash, burns its received oil at the dump's buildings, and I assume, at other borough facilities as well. It keeps our local government costs down a bit... our mill-rate taxes are reasonable.

We should all recycle, reuse, and properly dispose of what we can. It's the right thing to do and isn't hard.

 

[BISCUT]

Our local borough (county) dump, which takes in used oil, other chemicals, and electronics separately from trash, burns its received oil at the dump's buildings, and I assume, at other borough facilities as well. It keeps our local government costs down a bit... our mill-rate taxes are reasonable.

We should all recycle, reuse, and properly dispose of what we can. It's the right thing to do and isn't hard.

My Indy mechanic's shop is old and lightly insulated...it's really bad in that regard. They never cared as they have 2 250 gal waste oil tanks and burn all the waste oil. My former cop job, the DPW garage had the same set up for burning used car and truck oil for heat. I still dump all my waste oil here.

 

[Kira]

I believe it is the cse that "industry" knows how much oil is returned for recycling. Subtracting that number from the amount of new oil sold they've figured how much old oil is dumped destructively.

I believe that number (dumped oil) is the motivation for developing those oil-cartridge change lawn mowers.

A pal tried burning waste oil to heat his home. I forget the kind of burner (manufactured or homemade) he used.
It made his house smell like a disgusting old bus garage.
'Twas a short experiment.
NAsty stuff.

 

[BISCUT]

I believe it is the cse that "industry" knows how much oil is returned for recycling. Subtracting that number from the amount of new oil sold they've figured how much old oil is dumped destructively.

I believe that number (dumped oil) is the motivation for developing those oil-cartridge change lawn mowers.

A pal tried burning waste oil to heat his home. I forget the kind of burner (manufactured or homemade) he used.
It made his house smell like a disgusting old bus garage.
'Twas a short experiment.
NAsty stuff.

Even in a large open shop like a municipal garage it still has a heavy odor.

 

[53' Stude]

He safety Jleen guy was here this morning. Sucked both tanks bone dry. Almost 2,500 gallons over 3weeks

 

[eagle14]

I believe it is the cse that "industry" knows how much oil is returned for recycling. Subtracting that number from the amount of new oil sold they've figured how much old oil is dumped destructively.

I believe that number (dumped oil) is the motivation for developing those oil-cartridge change lawn mowers.

A pal tried burning waste oil to heat his home. I forget the kind of burner (manufactured or homemade) he used.
It made his house smell like a disgusting old bus garage.
'Twas a short experiment.
NAsty stuff.

Aside from the smell, the used oil would have a lot of impurities...chemical and other, like sand, dirt, etc... that home heating systems would have a hard time burning without risk of clogging. Industrial boilers, not so much, and smell is a non-issue to them.

 

[Bullwinkle007]

A lot of used oil is turned into fuel oil for ships to burn once out to sea

 

[Foxtrot08]

More than you think.

Group 2 “plus” re-refined base oils are used in a lot of products.

Their major market is in hydraulic and R&O oil blending because of their price points.

A lot of the problem with using them in PCEO applications is the amount of group III you have to cut them with to make the cold crank test.

But SK, Vertex and others, produce millions of gallons of base oil. I won’t particularly say who buys it, as that’s fairly confidential information. But several well, well, known and respected brands nationally use it.

 

[Foxtrot08]

Aside from the smell, the used oil would have a lot of impurities...chemical and other, like sand, dirt, etc... that home heating systems would have a hard time burning without risk of clogging. Industrial boilers, not so much, and smell is a non-issue to them.

Wiper film evaporators, then going through the distillation process and hydrocracking process is arguably better than conventional refining of base oils.

 

[Foxtrot08]

also, aside from burning it as a bunker fuel. It is also cleaned up and used as VGO’s Or asphalt extenders.

 

[53' Stude]

More than you think.

Group 2 “plus” re-refined base oils are used in a lot of products.

Their major market is in hydraulic and R&O oil blending because of their price points.

A lot of the problem with using them in PCEO applications is the amount of group III you have to cut them with to make the cold crank test.

But SK, Vertex and others, produce millions of gallons of base oil. I won’t particularly say who buys it, as that’s fairly confidential information. But several well, well, known and respected brands nationally use it.

So it’s safe to assume that Valvoline, SOPUS, Chevron or Mobil 1 could buy redefined basestock?