Nov 20, 2018 ROSE, aftermarket, oil, motor oil, Recycling Oil Saves the Environment, garage, mechanic
According to the ROSE Foundation, while disposing of used oil may seem like a no brainer, too many South Africans continue to get rid of it in the craziest of ways. But used oil is hazardous stuff - containing poisonous substances and heavy metals that can pollute the environment and are dangerous to your health, and just one litre of used motor oil can contaminate one million litres of water.
Here is the organisation's list of top crazy ideas for “repurposing” used oil:
#1 Some people fire up their chainsaws and lawnmowers on the power of used motor oil.
#2 Instead of buying a can of lubricant like WD-40 some people put their used motor oil in a squirt can and use this to lubricate.
#3 Some gardeners like to dampen a rag with used motor oil to wipe down all their garden tools. They say that this will help protect the metal from rusting and the wooden handles from drying out and cracking. (This contaminates the soil in the garden and possibly that of a vegetable garden with tools covered in used motor oil.)
#4 Some gardeners spray used oil onto weeds to kill them.
#5 Some people use used motor oil to burn firebreaks by pouring it onto the ground and lighting it.
#6 Some people believe that you can use used motor oil to treat mange in dogs and as a parasite deterrent for livestock. Used motor oil is a known carcinogen and this will make the animal sick.
#7 Some farmers use used motor oil as a wood preservative and paint it on their wooden fencing.
#8 Some farmers use used motor oil to dampen down dust on dirt roads by spraying it onto the ground.
#9 Some handymen like to loosen up their rusty nuts and bolts by soaking them in a jar of old used motor oil.
#10 As a cheap way to protect the underside of their car from rusting, some people paint used motor oil on the bottom of their cars. Obviously they never take into consideration what kind of impact all this old oil will have on the environment as it drips back onto the road and works it way back into the water table.
#11 In the construction industry some concrete workers brush a little used motor oil onto the wooden forms to help prevent the concrete from sticking. They also use it when plastering to achieve a smooth finish.
#12 Some people use old engine oil as a hair cream to protect the scalp from burning when applying hair relaxers.
#13 Some people actually use used engine oils in treatment of open wounds as they believe it makes the wound heal better.
The ROSE Foundation is urging anyonee who generates used motor oil to collect and store their used oil carefully and to drop it off at approved disposal points for safe recycling - thereby ensuring it does not make its way into the environment.“While industry faces rigorous environmental compliance, in smaller domestic circumstances used oil is often not disposed of correctly, with thousands of unaccounted for litres going straight into the environment,” says Bubele Nyiba, CEO of the ROSE Foundation.
“Recycling used motor oil keeps this carcinogenic substance out of our rivers, lakes, streams and ground water. In many cases, that also means keeping it out of our drinking water, off our beaches, and away from wildlife.”
“Anyone with used motor oil can drop it off at their nearest approved municipal garden refuse site – a list of which is available from the ROSE Foundation,” advises Nyiba. “Otherwise, most reputable service centres have used oil storage facilities and will take your oil, as they are paid according to volume by the collectors who take it away for processing.”
For more information and to find out about an accredited collector or drop-off point, contact the ROSE Foundation on (021) 448 7492 or visit www.rosefoundation.org.za.
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