In accordance with the regulations governing waste oil management, the companies that manufacture and market lubricating oils are responsible for financing the appropriate management of the waste generated when these products reach the end of their useful life. Given that, due to the characteristics of this waste, it is not possible to establish a connection between waste oil and the manufacturers that have sold industrial oils, SIGAUS annually commissions independent market studies that allow it to identify the structure of the market and define the share represented by its affiliated companies.

According to the study carried out by the consulting firm PwC at the start of 2024 based on 2023 data, the share represented by the companies affiliated with SIGAUS is very similar to that of the previous study, with a decrease of 0.13 percentage points to 86.01%. As for the total market, there is a slightly upward trend with 438,927 t, an increase of 1.5% over 2022, but 3.7% below the pre-pandemic level in 2019, when the market reached 455,861 t.

After discounting grease, and marine oils subject to the MARPOL Convention and process (which are excluded from the application of Extended Producer Responsibility, or EPR) the quantity of lubricating oils subject to EPR in 2023 was 354,010 tonnes, according to this study. Furthermore, after discounting industrial oils destined for the market outside of Spain, mainly in vehicles whose first fill is carried out in Spain and which are subsequently exported, the total of industrial oils sold in Spain and subjected to EPR was 334,453 t, a figure very similar to that of 2022 (335,170 t).