Copyright © 2001 FleetWatch magazine and FleetWatch On-Line.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior written permission from the publishers. Views published are not necessarily those of the publishers.

The automotive industry around the world is engaged in ongoing research and development to produce vehicles that minimize damage to our environment, particularly the reduction of harmful exhaust emissions. While most South African truckers are aware of the Euro 2 standard on emissions, under which the local industry now operates, how many consider the impact used truck oil has on the environment?  Addressing this very issue is an organization called ROSE (Recycling Oil Saves the Environment), a non-profit company that manages the collection, storage, and recycling of used lubricating oil in South Africa. "ROSE's mission is to educate the community about used oil pollution and recycling, and then to back this up by providing convenient collection sites for the purpose of keeping used motor oil out of our rivers and ground water supplies, and to ensure that used oil is then correctly recycled," explains Raj Lochan of ROSE.  "ROSE champions what it calls a 'cradle to grave' philosophy for used oil management, with the aim of recycling every drop of used oil. Oil can be recycled many times over, without losing its efficacy."  He sounds alarm bells, stating that some large industries and backyard mechanics repeatedly harm the environment by indiscriminately throwing out used oil with their domestic waste or allowing the oil to flow into stormwater drains. "Even a small quantity of oil entering the water system can have devastating consequences," he says. "To put it into perspective, just one litre of used oil can contaminate 1 million litres of water. Used oil disposal must be done properly, and we need to continue to show the public the right and safe way to do it."  ROSE's scope extends beyond oil recycling to include the recycling of other materials such as plastics and tin, as well as socio-economic empowerment initiatives, adds Lochan. "ROSE recently facilitated the formation of the National Oil Recycling Association of South Africa (NORA-SA), a body created specifically to represent the collectors of used oil and to manage the collection, transportation, storage and disposal of used oil responsibly. The association especially wants to focus on assisting and empowering small collectors, and generally encouraging entrepreneurship and environmental compliance in the recycling industry. Finally, with education as a focus, we go down to grass roots-level by supporting students through bursaries."

ROSE Foundation storage facility in North End, Port Elizabeth.  Oil washed from tanker trucks at Sasol's tanker-washing facilities in Sasolburg goes through an oil/water separator to render it fit for recycling. Fuelling stations should be used to disseminate information about the impact of used oil on the environment and how all vehicle owners/drivers can contribute to environmental protection by recycling the oil they use.