MechChem Africa September 2018

The recycling of used lubricant oil in South Africa is a well-established and thriving industry, thanks largely to the efforts of the ROSE Foundation and the compliance of licensed collectors and processors across SouthAfrica. In this article Bubele Nyiba, CEO of the ROSE Foundation highlights the value of used oil and urges generators not to sell it on to unscrupulous and unlicensed recyclers. Do you really know where your used oil lands up?

G enerators of used oil are required to make sure that licensed used oil collectors remove this hazard- ous waste and take it to a licensed processor for responsible recycling. However, after collection, the collector to the highest bidder, who may be an unlicensed processor or end user, often sells the used oil. Legally, the responsibility lieswith thegen- erator to ensure that the personwho collects used oil is licensed, audited and can provide the legally required Safe Disposal Certificate andHazardousWasteManifest. Failure to do so can result in fines and prosecution of the generators and collectors. Used oil still being used illegally Bubele Nyiba, CEO of the ROSE Foundation (Recycling Oil Saves the Environment) says besides oil ending up in landfills or down drains, an ongoing problem is that some used oil generators sell their oil to ‘end-users’ who use it for harmful practices such as burner fuel for furnaces, painting vineyard poles and fence poles as a wood preservative, or spraying of dirt roads as a dust suppressant. “Illegal practices such as those highlighted above allow used oil to make its way into the environment. Used lubricant oil contains harmful compounds and carcinogens andone litre of used oil can contaminate one million

litres of water – a fact that has led it to be classified as a hazardouswaste. Also, burning used oil before it has been recycled releases heavy metals and other harmful compounds into the atmosphere.” Waste products are commodities “In South Africa we have a system in place whereby the used oil collectors purchase the used oil from the generators. This model – which was pro-actively adopted many years before legislation governing the responsible recycling of waste and the pricing of waste was introduced – has been successful as it has given value to used oil as awaste, thereby incentivising its responsible collection. However, we now see a situation where used oil generators in South Africa are regarding their usedoil as an incomegeneratingproduct and this has driven the price of this waste up to unsustainable levels,” says Nyiba. It is interesting to note that best practice in other developed countries sees used oil generators paying collectors to take away their waste, as opposed to the current South African model, which is the other way around. “Used oil generators in South Africa often sell their oil to whoever offers the highest price, regardless of the qualifications of that person. All too often we are seeing ‘fly-by- night’ used oil collectors entering the industry who offer higher prices for the oil but do not take it to a reg- istered processor for recycling – and so also cannot offer the used oil gen- erator a Safe Disposal Certificate or a Hazardous Waste Manifest – both of which are required by law. Failure to be able to produce either of these documents if asked can result in stern penalties and even prosecution. “A trick that generators should also be aware of is that unscrupulous collectors will offer more per litre but will then under-declare the volumes collected – effectively stealing the oil. They therefore pay about the same in total that a licensed collector would have.” Nyiba urges used oil generators

to use ROSE licensed used oil collectors and processors: “Registered collectors are com- pelled to issue a Safe Disposal certificate,” says Nyiba. “This certificate issued by ROSE registered collectors also acts as aHazardous Waste Manifest, thereby fulfilling the legal reporting requirements.” As used oil is a hazardous waste, generators are required to maintain the below informa- tion on a HazardousWasteManifest, a docu- ment that will track the used oil from cradle to grave and offer a clear snapshot on how it has been managed: • A unique consignment identification number. • The generator’s contact details and the physical address of the site where the waste was generated. • An emergency contact number. • The origin/source of thewaste (how itwas generated). • A description of the waste (waste clas- sification and waste category) • The physical nature/consistency of the waste (liquid, solid, sludge; pump-able, non-pump-able). • The quantity of waste, packaging (bulk, small containers, tank) and transport type (tanker, truck, container). • The intended receiver (waste manager). ROSE registered collectors and processors are also compliant with all waste transporta- tion legislation and are strictly managed and audited, further ensuring the compliance of waste generators. “Since the source of hazardous waste is governed by laws and carries repercussions, used oil generators must take responsibil- ity for what happens with their oil and must ensure it is taken away by a licensed collector to a licensed facility. They must also insist on the paper work to verify this. “Don’t leave yourself open to possible fines or prosecution should you not be able to produce the proper paper trail,” concludes Nyiba. q The Hazardous Waste Manifest explained • Special handling instructions. • The date of collection/dispatch;

Oil collectors remove this hazardous waste and take it to a licensed processor for responsible recycling.

32 ¦ MechChem Africa • September 2018