[SS-Traveller]

In the news today:

2 elderly citizens held for engine oil fraud
The next time you buy engine oil for your vehicle, check if you are paying for the genuine product. On Tuesday, two elderly persons were arrested from Anand Parvat in central Delhi for selling engine oil of dubious quality.

Just a few days ago, there was a quick discussion about recycling used engine oil and not disposing of the same in the municipal drains, and one member expressed his apprehension about these oils ending up being misused like the incident above.

I suppose we face a moral dilemma here. Do we send our used oil for recycling and face this kind of forgery, or do we damn the environment by pouring it down the drain?

Or do we know of a third option which protects our environment and also protects us from this kind of forgery, which "happens only in India"?

[bblost]

Oil Companies must setup collection points.
This way we can go and give it back to them.

Sort of like how Mico used to collect sparkplugs. Remember the old advt they used to run about this.

[aerohit]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

........recycling used engine oil and not disposing of the same in the municipal drains.......

You guys consider flushing used oil down the drain as normal ??

HOLY $@$% !! USed Oil is toxic!



That is the worst crime you can commit for your own environment.
Used oil should be sent to authorized agency who deals with it.

Remember - You all drink the same ground water and eat the same vegetables that grows in the same soil.

No wonder most Indians even from normal families fall sick as they age, tumors, cancer, and other crap.

[aerohit]

BBC NEWS | Health | Pollution link with birth weight

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by bblost

Oil Companies must setup collection points.
This way we can go and give it back to them.

Sort of like how Mico used to collect sparkplugs. Remember the old advt they used to run about this.

I think that's a mighty sensible suggestion. Much better option leaving the used oil at the mercy of small-time recyclers and then these oils finding their way back into the spurious oils market. Is there any way to take this suggestion forward?

[Raccoon]

I don't see why this is even discussed... used oil *HAS* to be sent for recycling (wherever)... whether we risk counterfeiting or not! Spurious oil is a far lesser evil than flushing used oil down the drain or anywhere else!!!

Anybody who has any idea what used oil does to the environment will agree...

[bblost]

Originally Posted by Raccoon

I don't see why this is even discussed... used oil *HAS* to be sent for recycling (wherever)... whether we risk counterfeiting or not! Spurious oil is a far lesser even than flushing used oil down the drain or anywhere else!!!

Anybody who has any idea what used oil does to the environment will agree...

Yes sir.
Fully agree.

Can you please provide the address to which it has to be sent.

[Raccoon]

^^^Dunno that dude... I give mine to service centres. From there on, I don't know where it goes. I was told its bought by paint companies, etc.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by Raccoon

^^^Dunno that dude... I give mine to service centres. From there on, I don't know where it goes. I was told its bought by paint companies, etc.

no offence but that is the entire point of this thread.

Once we give the oil to the service centres, we have no control on it.

We hope that they pass it on to a recycle facility.

But things being the way they are, the same oil could come back in a spurious container.

Need a dedicated place that has some documented assurance on the oil being recycled.

[nitrous]

Spurious Oil Makers pay Rs. 7 for a litre.
And garages use 210 Litre barrels. So, do the math on how much they make per barrel.

[SS-Traveller]

That's exactly what I also would like to know - can we do something so that the trade in spurious oils is nipped in the bud, and we don't cause an environmental disaster either?

[Raccoon]

Fact is by far most automobile owners leave the oil change to garages/service centres. So the onus is on them to see that it is sent for recycling. Something like what they do for used battreys.

Now even if there is a place that is reliable gives the used oil for recycling and not to spurious oil makers/traders, is everyone going to ask for the used oil from the garage and then lug it to that place? Dosent sound remotely practical. We need some system to ensure that these garages send it to the right place for recycling.

Frankly I'm glad they have the incentive to at least sell it to spurious oil traders. Otherwise, knowing the typical Indian callousness for the environment, etc., I won't be surprised at all if the oil is just disposed in the environment.

[CrackedHead]

This was going to be the first question I'd ask on team-bhp (newbie here). Good to see that SS beat me to starting a discussion on it.

My problem is that I have a full barrel of used oil lying around at home. Its been accumulated from DIY oil changes over a period of ten years - didn't want to sell it (buying it back as spurious oil wouldn't make me or my cars happy).

Can used oil be recycled? It should be - if sent to a refinery and distilled like crude oil.

IMO - There should be a system in place where people can ship the used oil back to the manufacturer. Even if crude costs 50 odd dollars a barrel, its around 2500Rs - which makes economic sense as it should easily cover shipping and overheads. Why don't the oil companies setup a system to do this?

[Sankar]

Here the garages sell the used oil for Rupees 5 per litre. They buyers are usually building contractors and masons who will use the oil to coat the planks which are used for laying roofing concrete. This too is not a safe practice as it can contaminate the environment. To save the planet, best thing is to set up used oil collection points and BAN the sale of used oil. Unless the trade in used oil is banned, garages would sell it for profit rather than dump it in the collection point. All easier said than done.

I have three 1 liter bottles of used oil sitting in my garage, can't dispose it off, so i use it to lubricate the gate hinges and rolling shutter.

[SS-Traveller]

Is there any member here who is connected to the oil PSUs/co.'s, and/or can throw some light on the process of lubricating oil recycling that happens in India?