GEIR

Groupement Europen de lIndustrie de la Rgnration

European Re-refining Industry Section of UEIL

Waste Lube Oil Management in Europe

Green Planet Association Annual Conference
Bucharest, 28.05.2015
Glykeria Archontaki

Agenda

About GEIR

Circular model for re-refining industry

Reasons for a circular approach
EU legislative framework for used oils
Used oil management in EU
Good practices and barriers
Conclusions

About GEIR
GEIR

GEIR is the European Waste Oil Re-refining Industry Association. It is an independent member
of UEIL (Union of the European Lubricants Industry) and the strongest representative body for
independent manufacturers of lubricants in Europe.
Goals

Promoting the collection and re-refining of used oils

Support re-refining over other possible routes of waste oil management (improper
disposal, on-site combustion and treatment to fuel oil)
Support further development of the used oil recycling in Europe
Location: Brussels
The GEIR maintains permanent contacts with European official bodies (Parliament,
Commission, Committees) and works with all public and private organizations that are
interested in the subject of recycling in general and of used oils in particular.
Members: 14 members, active in 9 EU Member States, representing 90% of the European rerefining capacity.
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Used Oil Capacities for Base Oil Production

Country

Company

Location

Denmark
Finland

Avista Oil Denmark

L & T Recoil
Eco Huile
Osilube
Puralube 1+2
Avista Oil Germany
KS-Recycling
Cyclon Hellas
Viscolube
Viscolube
R.A.M.OIL
North Refinery
Rafineria Nafty Jedlicze
Cator
Tracemar
Tracemar - Alfaro
Tracemar- Huelva
Tracemar- Murcia
Whelan Refining

Kalundborg
Hamina
Lillebonne

France

Germany
Greece
Italy
Netherlands
Poland

Spain

United Kingdom

Le Havre
Trglitz/Zeitz
Dollbergen
Sonsbeck
Attika
Pieve Fissiraga
Ceccano
Casalnuovo
Farmsum
Jedlicze
Taragona
Fuenlabrada
Alfaro
Huelva
Murcia
Stoke-on-Trent

GEIR Website

Used Oil Capacity

[1000 tons/a]
40
42
125
120
160
120
30
40
130
84
35
80
34
42
36
38
34
34
50

ca. 1.3 million t/a

European Re-refinery Landscape

Re-refining plant (base oil) including hydrogenation or solvent extraction
L&T Recoil

Re-refining plant (base oil)

New Projects

Avista DK
Whelan
Refining

North
Refinery

Avista D
Puralube 1+2

KS Recycling

Jedlicze
Eco Huile
Osilub

Jaslo

Sdl

S.I.R.O
Viscolube

Tracemar
EGEO
Enviroil
Tracemar

Cator

Lubrica

Viscolube
R.A.M. Oil

Siral

Tracemar
Cyclon

Tracemar

Circular Economy Model

WLO represent the largest amount of liquid, non-aqueous

hazardous waste in the world

Re-refining is a resource efficient and technically completely

feasible way to manage WLO

WLO can be recycled a limitless number of times without any

quality loss of base oils

70% base oil plus other useful by-products (fuels, asphalt, gas
oil, etc) can be recovered

Production of high quality base oils free of harmful substances

Modern re-refining technologies are waste free technologies

Circular economy model provides advantages in terms of

limiting waste and harmful emmissions, reducing dependance
on natural resources, reducing costs, creating jobs and
economic growth
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Circular Economy Model

Virgin Base Oil

Contributing to a Competitive Europe

Contribution to EU Economy: About 30 per cent of all base oils consumed in the EU is made from
regenerated waste oils which can be regenerated indefinitely.

Security of Supply: Re-refining contributes to the reduction of crude oil imports from third countries,
making the EU industry and society less vulnerable to high prices, market volatility and the political
situation in supplying countries

Market Balance: A significant part of base oils is still produced by crude oil refining, mostly imported
by major global players. Moreover, operating costs involved in a re-refinery are less than that in a
crude oil refinery. SMEs play a vital role in balancing the lubricant market

Business Opportunities: The European waste oil recycling industry is

comprised of 28 plants and secures 1000-1200 local jobs in re-refining
and 2000-2500 mostly local jobs in the collection of waste oil. Moreover,
the re-refining industry contributes to the creation of indirect jobs in a
diversity of sectors, from accounting, quality control to cleaning and repair
work

Protecting Europes Environment

Security of Natural Resources : Increased re-refining rates alleviate the environmental burden of
primary lubricants production

Energy Savings : Recycled base oils save up to 30-40% of energy in the entire operation, in
comparison to the primary production of lubricants

Greenhouse Emissions Reduction : Considerable amount of CO2 is avoided compared to virgin

lubricants production.

Protection of Human Health and the Environment : High collection

rates reduce the potentially severe risks for human health and the
environment arising from illegal dumping in water or soil or uncontrolled
incineration.

High Quality Base Oils : Properly re-refined lubricants fulfill high

standards on low sulfur, aromatic and phosphorous concentration
resulting in high quality products

Legal Framework
Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC

Article 4: Waste hierarchy as priority order

Recycling (incl. re-refining) has higher priority than other recovery options (incl. direct burning or
production of secondary fuels)
Product (Non-Waste)
Waste

Best solution

Prevention
Preparing for re-use
Recycling

incl. Burning of used oil

incl. Re-refining

Recovery
Disposal

Worst solution

Waste Framework Directive, Rules for Used Oil Management

Article 3 (Definitions) :
recycling means any recovery operation by which waste materials are reprocessed into products,
materials or substances whether for the original or other purposes. It includes the reprocessing of
organic material but does not include energy recovery and the reprocessing into materials that are to
be used as fuels or for backfilling operations
Article 21 on waste oils:

Used oils have to be collected separately

Used oils have to be treated in accordance with the waste hierarchy

Prohibition of mixing used oils with different characteristics or with other kinds of waste or
substance if this impedes their treatment

Member states may apply measures (technical, organizational, economic) to promote separate
collection and proper treatment

Member states may restrict the transboundary shipment of used oils from their territory to
incineration or co-incineration in order to give priority to regeneration
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Used Oil Volume and Utilization in EU27

Million tons
Total Lubricant Demand

5.7

Used Oil Utilization EU-27 (m tons)

Collectable Used Oil

2.7

100%

Collected Used Oil

2.0

75%

Re-refined Used Oil

0.7

10%

25%

45%

(35% of collected)

35%
10%

Source GEIR, 2008

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Used Oil Management in EU27 (in t/a)

550
500
450
400
350
300
250
200
150

100
50

WLO Collected (m tons)

Re-Refining to Base Oils (m tons)

Direct burning (substituting HFO)

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Direct burning (substituting solid fuels)

Good Practices and barriers in WLO Management

Full implementation by Member States of WFD

Priority to re-refining over other ways of WLO management

Legally binding collection and re-refining targets for WLO

Implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility Schemes

Public awareness

Not harmonized national laws with the provisions of WFD

Financial support for incineration (tax cuts)

Lack of controls and enforcement actions by competent

authorities

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Objectives for sustainable development

Effective implementation of the provisions of existing

EU regulatory framework for used oils by all Member
States

Definition of clear collection and recycling targets for

WLO

Best use of available re-refining capacity in the EU by

encouraging WLO transboundary shipments for
Member States that lack re-refining facilities to other
EU Member States

Financial instruments to re-refining industries in order

to support steps to zero waste type of economy

Educating consumers and leveraging public

procurement based on life cycle costing

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Thank you for your attention!

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