Waste oil

Overview

Oil in someone's hands due to a fuel oil leak — © Kirill Gorshkov | Getty Images

Many engines and mechanisms need lubricant oils to function. Around half of all purchased lubricant oil will ultimately become waste oil. The rest is lost during use or through leakage.

Waste oils are considered hazardous waste and have some dangerous properties. One litre of waste oil can contaminate one million litres of water. Waste oils in rivers, lakes and streams threaten aquatic life.

Also, if waste oils are left on the ground, they can severely contaminate the soil.

Everyone, including industries, consumers, and garages, has an essential role to play in the recovery of waste oil. They must ensure that waste oil is handed over to authorised collectors and avoid dumping it at all costs.

Objectives

EU rules on waste oil aim to ensure that waste oils are correctly managed, to avoid contaminating the environment and take advantage of their high recovery potential.

Law

The Waste Oil Directive of 1975 previously guided EU policy on the management of waste oil.

In 2010, the Waste Framework Directive entered into force, including new provisions on waste oils that replaced the former Directive. It requires EU countries to take measures to:-

Treat waste oils in accordance with the waste hierarchy to protect human health and the environment
Ensure waste oils are collected separately
Ensure that waste oils with different characteristics are not mixed and that waste oils are not mixed with other kinds of waste or substances that would impede their treatment

Related laws

Implementation

In 2018, a review on the implementation of EU waste legislation was published, including waste oils.

Timeline

Key dates related to EU rules on waste oils

31 December 2022
Deadline for submission of a legislative proposal on measures for the treatment of waste oils, if appropriate
View Art 21(4) of the Waste Framework Directive
12 December 2010
Entry into force of Waste Framework Directive, including provisions on waste oils
12 December 2010
Former Waste Oil Directive repealed
18 June 1975
Former Waste Oil Directive enters into force
View the former Directive here

Contact

For questions about EU environmental policy, please contact Europe Direct.