Chinese Mandarin - Cleaning up

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Cleaning up
By ZHANG QI (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-09-24 07:17

Drivers might be surprised to know how much they are harming the
environment when they go in for an oil change. Much of the leftover lube
oil is not recycled, and incorrectly disposed used oil can pollute
waterways, underground reservoirs and the marine environment - and put
our health at risk.

At least 6 million tons of lubricating oil from cars, trucks, aircraft,
boats and machinery are consumed in China annually, with a 6.4 percent
increase year-on-year on average. Only 10 percent of the oil burns
completely, which means 90 percent is wasted.

The bulk of the used oil is not recycled for other industrial purposes
and is treated as waste, says Wang Shuwen, deputy secretary-general of
China Association of Resources Comprehensive Utilization.

"I don't know what happens to the 'missing oil'. However, evidence
suggests it could be burned without strict regulations, or illegally
dumped in landfills or in waterways and sewer systems," Wang says.

About 80 to 90 percent of used oil can be reproduced into new oil, such
as industrial burner fuel and hydraulic oil, or re-refined back into new
lubricating oil, Wang says.

To cope with rising environmental problems due to the dumping of used
oil, the association, in co-operation with Liaoning Luyuan Renewable
Energy Development Co Ltd, set up a used oil recycling and development
center in Beijing several months ago.

The center has built four used oil recycling stations in Northeast
China's Liaoning Province. It is merely the tip of the iceberg as the
center is going to bulid up 10,000 to 20,000 stations across China.

The stations allow for exchanges of small amounts of used oil from
vehicles or farm machinery to exchange new oil. For garages or factories,
the stations will visit free of charge and remove used oil. Sometimes
cash is offered in return for the used oil.

Xu Hongguang, Liaoning Luyuan's chairman, says more stations will be set
up in the Yangtze and Yellow rivers areas and coastal regions by the end
of the year.

"The total amount of recycled used oil was around 20,000 tons last year,
but I expect the amount will surge to 80,000 tons this year as our
program has been listed as a national specific fund project by the
National Development and Reform Commission."

Xu's confidence also stems from his company's patented technology.
"Around 80 to 90 percent of used oil can be recycled by normal
technology. But through our equipment, up to 92 percent of used oil can
be converted into new oil. "

It costs several thousand yuan to establish each recycling site, which
can amount to a large amount of money.

But money isn't the problem. The biggest challenge comes from the local
government, Wang says.

As used oil is regarded as a dangerous good, it needs approvals from more
than 10 departments, including police and fire departments.

The improper use of used oil can be a disaster to human health. Used oil
contains elements of heavy metal, which can cause lead poisoning and
physical disabilities in children. One liter of used oil can contaminate
up to one million liters of water. It generates noxious gases when it
burns.

How to deal with used oil remains a serious waste management problem.

"Take this year as an example, when 7.38 million tons of lube oil will be
consumed, and around 6 million tons of used oil will be dumped. The
annual output of a medium sized oil field in China is around 5 million
tons. Recycling all used oil is equal to a discovering of a new
medium-sized oil field," Wang says.

"Our used oil recycling center was established only a few months ago. It
had not been paid much attention to by the government until recently. The
central government has been doing all it can in energy conservation and
emission control. In such favorable circumstances, recycling used oil is
expected to grow into a new industry.

"Oil pollution is even worse than solid waste pollution, but the annual
amount is small compared with solid waste, which is 20 billion tons per
year. I guess that is why it doesn't draw much attention both from the
government and the public.

"But concerning the threat of used oil to the environment and on human
health, it is time we raised public consciousness about recycling used
oil," Wang says.

Developed countries usually provide incentives to encourage oil
recycling. For example, the Australian government has placed a 5.45 cent
levy per liter on new oil to fund used oil recyclers.

(China Daily 09/24/2007 page3)

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