All of the used industrial oil collected in the Canary Islands last year was used for regeneration, the treatment that allows the waste to be converted into new lubricants, according to SIGAUS, the Management System of Used Industrial Oils of Spain, a network of 160 specialized companies.
Thanks to its regeneration, more than 3,600 tons of new lubricants were produced, which avoided the consumption of 1.7 million barrels of oil and the emission of nearly 4,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.
Industrial oil, in addition to its application in vehicle engines, is used in a wide variety of industrial processes and other activities where gears and machinery are used, from the small power generator in a hotel to a wind turbine on top of a hill.
In 2022, nearly 3,000 Canarian establishments of all types generated more than 5,600 gross tons of used industrial oils, an amount that includes 7% of improper substances, such as water or sediments. More than half of these establishments are mechanical workshops (multibrand, multiservice, dealerships, rapid mechanics, etc.).
58% of the total volume recovered in the Canary Islands was by SIGAUS, the system responsible for managing this hazardous waste throughout Spain. The rest was collected in very heterogeneous sectors, such as industry, agriculture, commerce, hospitality, transportation or construction, and very diverse generation points, such as hospitals, military facilities, golf courses, educational centers or clean points, among others, which totaled 1,230 establishments (43% of the total).
Protected areas of the Canary Islands
During the past year, through the network of managers who collect used oils, 7,682 collections were carried out in the 83 Canarian municipalities in which this waste was generated.
The Canary Islands are characterized by a great natural wealth. In 2022, SIGAUS collected 578 tons of used oils in the vicinity of 29 protected areas (National Parks, Natural Parks and Reserves and Biosphere Reserves). Only in the surroundings of the Fuerteventura Biosphere Reserve, 154 tons of used oils were collected in 117 establishments.