Despite the administrative delays associated with the State of Alarm decreed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, at the end of March SIGAUS submitted to the Autonomous Communities and Cities and the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITERD) their 2019 Official Reports, thus complying with article 14 of Royal Decree 679/2006 which requires manufacturers of industrial oils and managers of used oils (or failing that, the integrated management systems in which they participate) to provide, before 1 April of each year, information on products placed on the market, used oils managed, companies involved, and ecological objectives achieved, among other matters. Through these documents, SIGAUS has once again communicated their contribution to the advancement of the Circular Economy in our country with the net management of a total of 135,591 tons of lubricating oils used throughout Spain.

In 2019, the 245 companies adhered to SIGAUS, including 23 new members, placed a total of 298,460 t of lubricating oils on the market, 55% intended for the automotive sector (163,027 t) and 44% (130,859 t) for the industrial sector. The market contracted 0.8% compared to 2018. By sector, lubricant oils intended for the automotive sector decreased by 1.6%, while sales of industrial sectors remained practically identical.

Thanks to the work of an extensive management network, a total of 195 facilities, last year it was possible to offer a universal collection service for this hazardous waste throughout the national territory, serving more than 70,000 used oil-producing establishments in a total of 4,846 different municipalities. This management network collected a total of 159,850 gross tons throughout Spain, including improper waste present in collected waste, such as water or sediment. Through their Technological Information System (TIS) SIGAUS registered a total of 180,982 different collection operations, supported by official documents, the most frequent collection being that of just 200 kg (a standard barrel).

Prevention and innovation, the commitment of member companies

The SIGAUS Official Reports also include detailed information on the actions in the field of prevention, with the development of a total of 801 effective actions, distributed among the 7 lines of action established with the aim of minimising the impact of industrial oil on the environment. All this within the framework of the SIGAUS 2018–2021 Third Business Prevention Plan, a system led by SIGAUS through which member companies recorded their efforts during the past year to implement and maintain an active prevention policy in the field of industrial oils, showing an environmental commitment that goes beyond legal obligations and is already a part of their business strategy.

A total of 208 companies have signed up to this Prevention Plan, and thanks to their work in 2019, 61,234 t of oil placed on the market were specifically formulated to extend their durability, 21,330 t of base oils from regeneration or from the recycling of used oils were used to obtain new lubricants, and 53.5 t of special oils for micro-lubrication techniques, or 2,304 t of biodegradable oils, were developed. And apart from this, there has been very intense training and communication activity, with the implementation of a total of 516 actions.

 

Enhanced reports, more complete than ever before

One new feature this year is that the SIGAUS Reports provide a detailed analysis of the generation of used oil in the territory, thanks to the availability of statistical data (population, rurality, or economic activities) and the geolocation of this management data in a geographic information system, which provides unprecedented detail on where and how this hazardous waste is generated throughout Spain, with a special focus on collection in vulnerable or disadvantaged areas.

For example, the Reports include information on the collection of used oils in the immediate surroundings of 255 protected natural areas (where services were provided to 2,897 producers in rural areas, and 4,422 tons were collected), the collection of 2,129 tons of used oils less than 250 m away from water resources (such as rivers or lakes, and always within the rural environment) or in 1,843 localities with less than 1,000 inhabitants (3,183 producers and 5,849 t), among a lot of other data that attest to the importance of the service’s capacity to spread geographically, especially into the so-called ‘España vaciada’ (Empty Spain).

Lastly, the documents submitted to the Autonomous Communities and the Ministry also contain information on the review and control actions carried out to verify the data provided by member companies and managers, the study that determines SIGAUS’ market share and the Communication Plan for 2020.