A waste oil collection service is indispensable for any business that produces excess oil. The service can help avoid polluting land and waterways and will ensure that you comply with your environmental commitments. But what actually happens to the oil when it is collected?
Collection
Firstly, the service will remove the oil from your premises. If possible, it will be pumped into drums or tanks for transportation, otherwise, it will be sucked up into a container to be taken away. Some companies may also collect oily rags and water and used containers and filters. It is important to make sure that the company collects the kind of oil you are disposing of, as some will only collect cooking oils and others will only collect fuel oils. They will then provide you with the documentation you need and take the oil away for recycling.
Preparation
What happens next will depend on the type of oil that has been collected. Some impure liquids will need to be tested for contaminants and treated to have these impurities removed. Oily water, for example, will need to be passed through a separation process to extract the oil and make sure that any contaminants are removed. Fuel oils will also need to be tested before they can be recycled.
Burning
Although recovered oil can be burnt off as fuel for heating, this is not the most environmentally friendly option and is increasingly being replaced by recycling. Burning releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere which contributes to climate change, whereas recycling will preserve the majority of the carbon in the oil. It is worth asking your collection service exactly what they do with the oil once it has been collected.
Recycling
Fuel oils can be re-refined by using a distillation process and used as a base oil for new products such as lubricating oils. This creates a closed-loop in the process, ensuring that the oil does not pollute the environment. Cooking oils can be recycled in a number of ways. The solids that are extracting from the process can be sent for agricultural use as fertilisers and compost, while the fats can be used for tallow.
Having your waste oil collected and sent off for recycling is a sensible option of dealing with your waste while helping to protect the environment. Just get in touch with your local service to find out about your options.
For more tips, reach out to a company like Wren Oil.
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