Page 30 - Energize July 2022

NEWS

Recycling hazardous used oil responsibly

is essential to protect our environment

by Bubele Nyiba, CEO, the ROSE Foundation With billions of people on the planet lacking
access to safe drinking water and many living in water-
he 2022 World Environment Day global campaign, “#OnlyOneEarth”, is stressed countries, it is more important than ever to
calling for transformative changes to policies and choices to enable cleaner, make sustainable choices to address climate change
Tgreener, and sustainable living in harmony with nature. Waste management and to preserve our environment. Keeping used oil
of a wide range of products is a key component in achieving the goal of a healthy out of our groundwater is a key step towards a healthy
environment. In South Africa, the government is implementing stringent waste environment.
management legislation across various sectors, utilising Section 18 of the The ROSE Foundation has been successful in
National Waste Management Act, a section that deals with Extended Producer driving responsible recycling of used oil on behalf of
Responsibility (EPR). the lubricants manufacturing and reselling industry.
In 2020, the government published Extended Producer Responsibility The organisation has overseen the recycling of over
Regulations and Notices for the producers in the in electric and electronics, 1,5 billion litres of used oil since its inception and
lighting, packaging, and single-use plastics industries to implement EPR. Most continues to grow its initiatives to educate the market
recently, the government has also issued notices to implement EPR in the and to increase the volumes of used oil recycled.
lubricants, pesticides and battery industries. From large industries to individual backyard
The lubricants industry welcomes the introduction of legislation to mechanics, generators of used oil have a legal duty
enforce EPR. Our industry has been implementing EPR since 1994, when we to store and recycle used oil responsibly to protect
took a proactive stance to mitigate the potential harmful effects of oil on the the environment in South Africa. The disposal of used
environment by establishing a voluntary extended producer responsibility oil is strictly governed by environmental laws and its
scheme, through the establishment of the ROSE Foundation. The purpose of the storage and disposal has to meet the requirements of
organisation is, “to promote the common interests of the oil industry to prevent the National Environmental Management: Waste Act
the pollution of the environment by used lubricants in South Africa.” No. 59 of 2008.
Used lubricating oil is classified as hazardous waste, as used oil and grease Large used oil generators should store used oil
from vehicles and machinery contain three types of dangerous pollutants: safely for collection by a ROSE Foundation accredited
polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals and lubrication additives. oil collectors who will issue the generators with safe
These hazardous pollutants are generated through the use of the oil as a lubricant disposal certificates, as required by the Waste Act.
in motor vehicles and in industrial operations. If used oil is irresponsibly disposed When used oil is recycled in South Africa, it is
of into landfill, down drains or onto the ground, it can leach into wetlands and usually partially reprocessed to remove particulates
rivers, where it can pollute the water and have serious environment effects on and is sold as an industrial burner fuel. In some
marine and fresh water organisms and human health. instances, it is being re-refined back to base oil, but
The ROSE Foundation is strongly aligned to the United Nations Sustainable this is a costly process to establish, and the demand for
Developmental Goals (SDGs), especially Goal 6, which is to ensure availability and burner fuel is still dictating the economics of recycling.
sustainable management of water and sanitation for all and Goal 7, which is to Around the world, over 3 billion people rely on
ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. dirty fuels and animal waste for cooking and heating.
Burner fuel from used oil is the second cheapest
source of energy for industrial purposes, with coal
being the cheapest. However, used oil as a burner fuel
contributes to CO 2 emissions into the environment,
so the ROSE Foundation is advocating the use of
scrubbers by industries that burn fuel, to mitigate
carbon dioxide emissions. Scrubbers are air pollution
control devices that use liquid to remove particulate
matter or gases from an industrial exhaust or flue gas
stream. The use of scrubbers significantly reduces
emissions of sulphur and nitrogen oxides, toxic stable
organic chemicals, mercury and particulates.
The safe disposal of hazardous waste has become
a critical issue; South Africa needs to manage in

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