Re-refined oil - Canada vs. US observations

[old farmer]

I work in an oil refinery and we have Safety-Kleen pick up our used oil. One day the guy picking it up told me they had some of their product analysed and the lab person said it was really good oil because what's left after re-processing is the oil that didn't break down, good stuff. If done right, it should be quite good, done wrong, it would be HORRID!
I knew someone who oncw changed his oil in a parking lot over a storm drain, 30 years ago, idiotic!!!

 

[addyguy]

I was doing some more research on this, and I found this interesting fact that probably goes a long way to explaining the differences I noted in my original post:

"Many other countries are re-refining used oil at a much higher rate than the United States. Canada, for example, re-refines 6% more used oil than it burns for energy recovery. The United States, on the other hand, re-refines 75% less used oil than it burns for energy recovery."

It was in this document:

http://www.p2pays.org/ref/32/31984.htm

It does go a long way to explaining why there is so much more re-refined brands of oil on Canadian discount store shelves, and why it is so much cheaper than virgin oil up here - it is processed in such quantities that it is economically feasible to offer it as a discount product, as opposed to the states, where it is a 'specialty' product. I do agree in that scenario, it doesn't make any sense to use it, when virgin dino is about the same price or cheaper. But in Canada, I think it is a bargain 'sleeper' oil that delivers excellent bang-for-buck value.

BTW, I do belive in putting my money where my mouth is on beliving this is a valuable product - I have just changed my oil today with Tech 2000 5W-30 at Wal-Mart for $17.96. I'll see how it does for my 3-month, 6,000 km drain schedule.

 

[MC5W20]

http://www.76lubricants.com/NR/rdon...E/0/76_Lubricants_METRO_TRANSIT_CaseStudy.pdf

http://www.evergreenoil.com/enviro.html

http://www.recyclebutte.net/Oil/rerefined.html

http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/UsedOil/Rerefined/Facts.htm

http://www.doi.gov/greening/procure/rerefined.html

http://www.epa.gov/cpg/products/lubricat.htm


There is a wealth of information out there if you just look for it. Most oil in this country that gets re-refined is used in fleets. Which means it is bulk packed. That is why you see very little of it advertised or packaged for retail sale.

 

[FrankNB]

NB, Canada, we use it for the first oil change after an engine rebuild. You start the engine for the first time for a few minutes, than do an oil change, and then you run something for 1000km, then put your normal pricier oil in. It's way cheaper, it also smells much different, and the batch I used for my engine was closer to the color of water than the golden color of virgin stuff. The stuff came from Nappa I think, Autopro or something like that. I put XD-3 0w40 in there afterwards and it's been in there since Nov 2004 I think, with bypass TP roll system. I should mention the Jeep sees little use offroad only.