The Agency has announced a new testing guidance and certification scheme to help businesses recycle these oils, saving them an estimated £77 million over the next 10 years.

On average, 200,000 tonnes of PFO is produced each year from used lubricants such as car engine oils.

PFO can be used instead of virgin fuel to fire burners in power stations, boilers, lime kilns and roadstone coating plants.

Despite this, millions of litres of used lubricants are incinerated every day after being used only once.

As part the Quality Protocol produced last year, the methods required to test for the presence of potentially contaminating metals have now been developed and included in the revised guidance.

In addition, a certification scheme for PFO producers has been introduced. This scheme will allow producers to share best practice and provide quality assurance in the industry.

Project manager, Graham Donachie, said: “Now that the metal testing and reporting requirements are in place, the Quality Protocol can be fully implemented.

“Together with the development of the additional test methods, the introduction of a certification scheme will provide additional assurance to both waste processors and end users in the quality of the PFO being supplied to the market.

“We have worked closely with the industry when developing this scheme and would encourage all those waste recyclers considering producing Quality Protocol PFO to join this scheme.”

For more information on the scheme go to the Oil Recycling Association (ORA) website.

Alison Brown

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