Used Oil Management
Photo credit: Julie Pillet/SPREP
According to the Technical Working Group of the Basel Convention 1997, used oil is any semi-solid or liquid used product consisting totally or partially of petroleum-based or synthetic oil, oily residues from tanks and oil-water mixtures.
Used oil includes, but is not restricted to, used engine oils, transmission fluids, refrigeration oils, compressor oils, metalworking fluids and oils, electrical insulating oil and hydraulic fluids.
Environmental contamination occurs when used oil is dumped in drains, on the ground and in aquatic environments; used as a dust suppressant or to mark sports fields; applied to wood as a preservative; or burnt in ill-equipped facilities causing the release of Persistent Organic Pollutants such as dioxins and furans.
Used oil may contain several compounds which are harmful to human health and the environment, including polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) absorbed into the oil from incomplete combustion in engines; heavy metal particles introduced through machinery wear; and additives such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and other chemicals used to boost the performance of the oil. Many of these compounds can induce various types of cancer; affect the immune, reproductive, nervous and endocrine systems; and cause other diseases in humans and other mammals through inhalation, ingestion or skin contact.
Regional issues identified in national waste oil management audits and reported in the Cleaner Pacific 2025 strategy include:
- unsafe used oil disposal practices;
- inadequate and unsafe storage sites, exposed to the elements, not contained and, or bunded; and
- lack of proper collection systems, including on outer islands, for small generators of used oil.
What does the SWAP project include to improve the use and management of waste oils?
This thematic area will be addressed by the SWAP project through two activities:
- Development of institutional mechanisms such as management plans that include sustainable financing mechanisms to govern their use and management;
- Technical and financial support for the design and implementation of collection, treatment and recovery systems, such as the provision of storage facilities and the improvement of collection systems, the provision of treatment and recycling facilities, and the disposal of used oils.
These activities will take place in Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu.
As part of this thematic area, the SWAP project has initiated several activities:
1. A consultant has been hired to develop a National Used Oil Management Plan for Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. The first consultation meetings were held in February 2022, and the service should result in the implementation of the plans by the end of 2023.
2. A call for expressions of interest for the establishment of a register of companies with existing used oil treatment and/or recovery technologies adapted to the specific contexts of Pacific Islands.
3. Research on existing used oil treatment/recovery facilities adapted to Pacific Island context has been completed.
To know more
As part of research on existing used oil processing technologies, SWAP produced two papers:
1. Research on Used Oil Recovery Technologies available for Pacific Islands Context – Options Report
2. Research on Used Oil Recovery Technologies available for Pacific Islands Context – Booklet
