Used Lubs Collection

Used lubricants are divided into two categories:

• Pure industrial oils, deteriorated in terms of quality after usage, that can easily be reproduced through a simple purification procedure (filtration and/or centrifugation).
• The so-called black oils, mainly coming from automotive lubrication, that have been subjected to severe thermical and mechanical conditions, during which they have been loaded with metals and combustion residues and have been oxidized.

None of these lubricants must be confused with used soluble oils and other machining fluids, or mixtures of water-hydrocarbon, where we usually use other methods of collection.

Are used oils dangerous for the environment?

The used oils are only slightly biodegradable. Therefore, their disposal in the natural environment is dangerous to natural systems. For example, throwing waste oils in water will decrease the amount of oxygen, that is available for flora and fauna of the system. Moreover, the combustion of waste oils under uncontrolled conditions will produce emissions and combustion residues, that can be quite hazardous for the environment.

What should NOT be done with used lubricants:

• Never throw away used lubricants in waste pipettes, waste embankments, gutters or drain pipes
• Never use them for wood paneling protection
• Never use them as heating fuels.

How are used lubricants collected in Greece?

Total Hellas is obliged to pay lubricants recycling tax according to Greek legislation, to provide to end users free recycling service.

The authorized administrator of waste lubricating oils in Greece is a company called Alternative Administration of Waster Lubricating Oils (in greek acronym ΕΝ.DΙ.Α.L.Ε. SA (www.endiale.gr/ ).

What happens in used lubricants after their collection?

Used lubricants after collection may be subject to different procedures:

• Pure used oils mainly get recycled
• Black oils are re-manufactured, or incinerated in cement works, or get burnt in specialized center (for energy recovery).