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Used motor oil can contain toxic substances such as benzene, lead, zinc,
and cadmium.1
The oil from a single oil change (1 gallon) can ruin the taste of a
million gallons of drinking water (1 part per million), the supply of 50
people for one year.2
Films of oil on the surface of water prevent the replenishment of
dissolved oxygen, impair photosynthetic processes, and block sunlight.3
Oil dumped on land reduces soil productivity.3
Concentrations of 50 to 100 parts per million (ppm) of used oil can foul
sewage treatment processes.3
In the U.S., less than 60 percent of used oil is recycled.4
1 in 5 households have a do-it-yourself (DIY) oil changer.5
As of July 2004, there are more than 2,600 State-certified collection centers and 70 curbside
collection programs in California, which accept used oil for free. (Find your nearest
certified center...)6
More than 98 million gallons of used oils were recycled in the fiscal year 2001-2002.7
Rerefined Oil Facts
2.5 quarts of re-refined lubricating oil can be produced from one gallon
of used oil.2
Re-refining is energy efficient--less energy is required to produce a
gallon of re-refined base stock than to produce a base stock from crude oil.8
Re-refined oil prices are competitive to equivalent virgin oil products.
9
The United States Postal Service and National Park Service use re-refined oil
in their vehicle fleets.9
The Department of Defense compared making lube oils from virgin base oil
and used oil and determined using used oil was both more environmentally
friendly and cost-effective.10
The U.S. Conference of Mayors has endorsed re-refined oil.11
Each year the U.S. generates 425 million used automotive oil filters
containing 160,000 tons of iron units and 18 million gallons of oil.12
Recycling all the filters sold annually in the United States would result
in the recovery of about 160,000 tons of steel, or enough steel to make 16 new
stadiums the size of Atlanta's Turner Stadium.13
Used oil filters can contain more than 45 percent used motor oil in weight
when removed from the vehicle.14
Recycling Used Oil: What can you do? U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
(OS–305), EPA/530-SW-89-039B, June 1989.
Department of Defense Re-Refined Oil Policy, Presentation by Karl
Weiss, Office of Deputy under Secretary of Defense
(Environmental Security), pp 4-7,
April 2000. PDF file, size unknown.
