The report “Used industrial oil in Spain 2021-2022” focuses on the importance of a system that ensures a universal collection service, including the most remote and unpopulated areas in Spain, as well as the correct treatment and use of all used oil. The management of used oil is marked by the singular demographics of Spain, a country that is unique in Europe, in which barely 13% of the surface area (measured in 1 km2 cells) is populated.

Based on this, the report gives an overview of the logistical complexity of collecting used oil annually from almost 70,000 collection points across the country, 20% of which require travelling long distances to collect small volumes of waste. A context in which only the application of extended producer responsibility (EPR), with the financing that this implies, can ensure the proper management of waste generated in any corner of the country.

Main findings of the report

• Two sides of the same coin: concentration vs. dispersion. 42 metropolitan or industrial areas account for 75% of used oil. In contrast, 82% of the territory and 91% of municipalities generate the more widely spread 16% of this waste with high recovery costs, including 72 municipalities with less than 100 kg generated waste and almost 400 with less than 500 kg.
• Workshops, industries… and many more. In Spain, there are almost 40,000 automotive workshops, but 70,000 points that generate waste oil every year, when we include 10,000 industries and another 20,000 points for different activities, from agricultural co-ops to public work sites, wind farms or sailing clubs.
• Very little with much, much with very little. The vast majority of establishments generate very small quantities of used oils. Although the average per producer is 2,595 kg/year; three out of four producers did not exceed 1,800 kg of annual waste (two IBCs).

• Intermittent generation. In a combined analysis of the last 5 years (2018-2022) up to 5,820 different municipalities generated waste oils. Of these, 4,050—accounting for 97% of the population—did so regularly, while another 1,800—covering 1.5% of the Spanish population—did so more sporadically, although serviced and registered by SIGAUS in the same way.
• 100% recovered used oil. Thanks to its extensive experience and knowledge of the sector, SIGAUS works with practically all operators in the management of used oils in Spain. The funding provided and the availability of two complementary treatments ensure that the waste can always be transformed into a resource, in an efficient manner, and with added savings in terms of energy, emissions and raw materials.

Eduardo de Lecea, General Manager of SIGAUS, commented on the report: “Thanks to our presence in the sector, and our powerful technological systems, we have a clear picture of where and how used oil is generated across Spain. We understand that it is necessary to travel to many remote places to collect small quantities, providing them with an essential service. Only an EPR-based system would be able to combine this coverage with high efficiency, and a system like this has been used for waste oil, along with full traceability of the waste’s every movement. This set-up places us in an optimal position to face new challenges in the field of used packaging’.