What to do with the used oil?
What to do with the used oil? Disposing of oil is a very important practice and it must be done in the right way to avoid damaging the environment.
What are the categories of used oils?
In general, and for a clearer understanding of the issue, we point out that used oils belong to two categories, on which collection activities and final recovery depend: vegetable oil and mineral oil.
What do we mean by used vegetable oil?
By vegetable oil we mean the so-called “frying oil”, almost always of domestic origin which, once used, must be eliminated. It is an oil that has undergone changes in structure in contact with food, and is dangerous if disposed of in the environment.
What do we mean by mineral waste oil?
Mineral oil, on the other hand, has a different origin, and its structural basis is precisely mineral or synthetic: for example, oil for the combustion engine of motor vehicles or mineral oil for industrial machinery.
Even mineral oil, once exhausted, must necessarily be disposed of correctly, because it too is dangerous for humans and the environment.
The management of used oils for private citizens and companies
Then a distinction between private citizen and company is necessary. Private individuals are advised to go to the ecological islands and deliver it there. The advice we give is to collect quite a few, even a liter or more, in a wide-necked glass bottle (like that of tomato puree) or in a plastic tank, and then dispose of it once the container is filled, through the various services offered by the municipality to private citizens.
For companies, however, as always, the situation is different. Waste oils from companies include waste oils such as waste oils for hydraulic circuits, or engine oil waste, oil/water separation products, or even diesel fuel and insulating oils.
On the Eurocorporation website it is possible to find the best solution to be able to dispose of used oil in the most correct way, entrusting the management of this waste to a team of professionals with great experience in the sector.
The damage of oil disposed of in the environment
Oil, disposed of in the environment, is a fearsome pollutant. It has a great impact on nature in general. Thrown into the water, in fact, it does incredible damage: not being biodegradable, in fact, it creates a sort of patina on the water which, being up to five centimeters thick, prevents the sun’s rays from penetrating, thus causing damage to marine fauna and flora.
Obviously, then, the spent oil also pollutes the aquifers and makes them undrinkable. Also in this case, the oil disposed of incorrectly forms an impermeable film that prevents oxygenation, compromising the aquifers. It is estimated that a single liter of spent oil is enough to pollute an area of about 1000 square meters.
Why you need to dispose of used oil correctly
Used oil must therefore be disposed of properly. Like so many materials that through haste or carelessness are disposed of in the incorrect world, this too can be destined for new life. Used oil can in fact be recovered in various ways, and after undergoing treatment and recycling processes it becomes something different: biodiesel, lubricants, soaps and more are obtained from used oils.
This is therefore just one more reason to recycle carefully. In Italy, about 200,000 tons of used oil end up in the environment every year. Disposing of it correctly can therefore save the environment, the seas, animals and have a positive effect on all of us.
