Oil change: What to do with used oil

Performing proper maintenance of your motorcycle is essential for its conservation and, among the most common operations is the change of motor and filter oil. It is a vital task for the proper functioning of the engine, since the oil is responsible for lubricating all the mobile parts so that they do not deteriorate with friction.

But used oil is a very polluting element and you have to be clear where you can discard and what to do with it. If you change the lubricant in your usual workshop, you don't have to worry, because the workshops have the obligation to be attached to a residuous management plan. But, if you usually change your motorcycle oil yourself, you should know that you can't throw it anywhere. Pay attention because we are going to tell you where the used motor oil is recycled.

Engine oil is recycled
Yes, because motor oil can be recycled. It is an element composed of many energy resources that can be used as raw material to manufacture other products, after recycling. But the recycling of used engine oil must be done in the right places, to extract and store it in the proper way not to contaminate water, air and earth.

Once you change the used engine oil, you must transport it to an adequate place to deposit it. To do this, you will have to drain the oil and the filter in a safe, clean, waterproof container that closes well. This will be stored safely. Make sure it is impermeable and not between any water. And do not forget to place a label that warns of its content.

To deposit the used engine oil there are several options. The easiest is to go to a workshop or a scrapping. Many of these centers are responsible for collecting used lubricants and taking them to a recycling center. Another option is to bring the oil to a clean point, although not in all locations. There are also industrial containers where used oils can be poured.

Where to recycle engine oil
Motor oil is a very polluting element due to the large number of heavy metals it contains and its slow degradation. To get an idea, only with a liter of oil, you can ruin a surface equivalent to a football field. If the oil reaches the sea, it can last up to 15 years floating on the surface and some of its components can continue to contaminate for centuries.

If you throw the oil from your motorcycle through the drain, you will be putting the environment in serious danger, just like if you deposit it in a common garbage container in your city. That is why it is so important not to throw the used oil anywhere and know where the used motor oil is recycled, as well as the oil filters.

Nor should you think that motor oil is the same as any frying oil. It is true that oils that are used to cook can be recycled properly, but they have absolutely nothing to do with the engine lubricant.

The most advisable thing is to transport the oil used to a clean point in your locality. It is free and will not take any effort, although not in all locations there is one. You can find your closest clean point consulted the website of the City Council of your locality or autonomous community. If it is impossible, you can always deposit it in your trusted workshop or in a scrapping and they will take it to a place for recycling.

What is done with used motor oil?
Once the used engine oil reaches a recycling plant is analyzed to determine what will be the most appropriate treatment that will be done. There are several ways to recycle motor oil:

• First, regenerate it, eliminating water, additives, heavy metals and other sediments to reformulate them as new oils.
• A second treatment is to decontaminate old oil to use it as an industrial fuel in power plants, bins and other industries.
• Finally, a recycled material of the oil can also be carried out to be used later as raw material to produce other materials.

Companies dedicated to the recycling of used oils
There are companies that are responsible for the treatment of waste. One of the best known in Spain is Sigaus, a non -profit company and whose acronym means integrated system of used oil management.

Companies like this are responsible for making a selective collection of oils and their correct management to be reused by other companies, reducing the amount of waste that is expelled to the planet.

The action of companies such as Sigaus is financed by lubricant and industrial oil companies, which pay a fixed amount for each liter of marketed oil. By law, lubricant companies must finance the management of used oils. With the collection, the collection, management and treatment of oils are paid.

How does Sigaus work?
For the collection and subsequent management of used oils, Sigaus works with a network of almost 160 managing companies specialized in the collection, analysis and treatment of this residue. A network that includes workshops, scrapping and all kinds of industries distributed throughout Spain that are responsible for collecting lubricants that can no longer be used.

Sigaus is financed by a quota of 0.06 euros for each liter of marketed oil paid by the adhered manufacturers, depending on the type of industrial oil they put in the market. The income obtained is allocated to the management of the generated oil and the financing must be sufficient for the system to effectively make the collection of the residue generated in Spain.