Proper maintenance of your motorcycle is essential for its preservation, and one of the most common operations is changing the engine oil and filter. This is vital for the engine's proper functioning, as the oil lubricates all moving parts to prevent them from deteriorating due to friction.
But used oil is a highly polluting element, and you need to be clear about where it can be disposed of and what to do with it. If you change the lubricant at your regular workshop, you don't have to worry, as workshops are required to adhere to a waste management plan. However, if you usually change your motorcycle's oil yourself, you should know that you can't just dump it anywhere. Pay attention, because we're going to tell you where used engine oil is recycled.
Motor oil is recycled
Yes, because motor oil can be recycled. It's a compound of many energy resources that can be used as a raw material to manufacture other products after recycling. But used motor oil must be recycled in the right places, so that it can be extracted and stored properly to avoid polluting the water, air, and land.
Once you've changed the used engine oil, you'll need to transport it to a suitable disposal site. To do this, you'll need to drain the oil and filter into a secure, clean, waterproof, and tightly sealed container. This way, it'll be stored safely. Make sure it's waterproof and prevents any water from getting inside. And don't forget to label the contents.
There are several options for depositing used engine oil. The easiest is to go to a workshop or a scrapyard. Many of these centers collect used lubricants and take them to a recycling center. Another option is to take the oil to a recycling center, although these are not available in all locations. There are also industrial containers where used oil can be dumped.
Where to recycle motor oil
Engine oil is a highly polluting element due to its high concentration of heavy metals and its slow degradation. To give you an idea, just one liter of oil can ruin an area equivalent to a football field. If the oil reaches the sea, it can float on the surface for up to 15 years, and some of its components can continue to pollute for centuries.
If you pour your motorcycle oil down the drain, you'll be seriously endangering the environment, just as you would if you dumped it in a regular trash can in your city. That's why it's so important not to dump used oil anywhere and to know where used motor oil and oil filters are recycled.
You shouldn't think that motor oil is the same as any other frying oil. It's true that cooking oils can be recycled properly, but they have absolutely nothing to do with engine lubricant.
The best option is to take your used oil to a local recycling center. It's free and easy, although not all locations have one. You can find your nearest recycling center by visiting the website of your local city council or regional government. If this isn't possible, you can always drop it off at your local garage or scrapyard, and they will take it to a recycling center.
What do you do with used motor oil?
Once used engine oil arrives at a recycling plant, it is analyzed to determine the most appropriate treatment. There are several ways to recycle engine oil:
- First, regenerate it, removing water, additives, heavy metals, and other sediments to reformulate it as new oils.
- A second treatment is to decontaminate the old oil for use as industrial fuel in power plants, paper mills, and other industries.
- Finally, the oil can also be recycled to be used later as raw material for producing other materials.
Companies dedicated to recycling used oils
There are companies that handle waste treatment. One of the best-known operating in Spain is SIGAUS, a non-profit company whose acronym stands for Integrated Used Oil Management System.
Companies like this one are responsible for selectively collecting and properly managing oils so they can be reused by other companies, reducing the amount of waste released into the planet.
The actions of companies like SIGAUS are funded by lubricant and industrial oil companies, which pay a fixed amount for each liter of oil sold. By law, lubricant companies must fund the management of used oils. The proceeds are used to pay for the collection, management, and treatment of the oils.
How does SIGAUS work?
For the collection and subsequent management of used oils, SIGAUS works with a network of nearly 160 management companies specialized in the collection, analysis, and treatment of this waste. This network includes workshops, scrapyards, and all types of industries throughout Spain that are responsible for collecting unusable lubricants.
SIGAUS is funded by a fee of €0.06 per liter of oil sold, paid by participating manufacturers, based on the type of industrial oil they market. The revenue generated is entirely allocated to the management of the used oil generated, and funding must be sufficient for the system to efficiently collect the waste generated in Spain.
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