All too often, waste oil is not properly recycled, which means that it can find its way into landfill sites or, even worse, be poured down the drain. In many cases, the oil must be collected rather than thrown away due to the regulations in a particular country or industry. Even more important from a commercial point of view is the fact that used oil retains a residual value. So, tipping it away is not only bad for the environment and will potentially block up your drains but is like throwing money away. This is where a reputable waste oil collection company can be so beneficial. Hiring one will mean fulfilling all of your legal as well as environmental obligations. What is involved?

Types of Oil

Oil is not a single entity. The term is used to cover a lot of different types of fluid including lubricants. A typical waste oil collection service will also handle things like waste diesel, cooking oil, fuel oils and even electrical insulation oil. Particular care should also be taken with specialist oils, such as those which go into car gearboxes or brake fluids which are also widely used in the automotive sector. In aviation, kerosene can also be reprocessed as a waste form of oil.

Recycling and Disposal

It is fair to say that not all oil can be recycled in a commercially viable manner these days. Of course, there is a cost associated with the proper disposal of such waste oils. Any waste oil collection service that deals with un-recyclable oils will come with a fee, but this can be offset by the residual value of oils that can be reprocessed. Different countries — and even some states — have different regulations about which oils can be disposed of and how they should be handled responsibly.

Reprocessing Waste Oil

In recent years, more and more oil that would have previously been disposed of is being reprocessed as a biofuel. This is certainly the case with cooking oil which deteriorates over time in commercial kitchens. When a waste oil collection company takes this sort of oil away, it will usually transport it immediately to a reprocessing plant where it will be graded and filtered for reuse. Typically biofuels are a source of energy for electrical-generating plants, but they are increasingly being used in the transportation sector as an alternative for diesel fuel. Rapeseed and vegetable oils are particularly good in this regard. Another use for collected and reprocessed oils includes domestic heating oil, commonly used in rural communities which have no natural gas supplies.

For more information, reach out to a company that offers waste oil collection.