Keep on Recycling!
It’s a year of celebration for Canadians. And our country has much for which we can be proud. Coast to coast to coast!
Working for a cleaner environment is one area where Canadians excel. This includes recycling used oil and antifreeze materials, which can be hazardous to the environment and human health if not managed properly through a UOMA program.
The seven provincial Used Oil Management Associations (UOMAs) are maturing, adjusting to the current economic climate and creatively dealing with the challenges facing all stewardship programs in this time of climate change.
The proof is in the numbers. The overall amount of each product type collected for the current reported fiscal year, 2016, is down marginally over 2015 but this matches the lower sales numbers over the same period.
| UOMA | OIL (million litres) | FILTERS (millions of units) | PLASTIC OIL CONTAINERS (million kg) | GLYCOL / ANTIFREEZE (million litres) | ANTIFREEZE CONTAINERS (million kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | 46.44 | 5.57 | 1.61 | 2.61 | Combined with plastic oil containers |
| Alberta | 86.12 | 7.41 | 2.17 | N/A | N/A |
| Saskatchewan | 18.33 | 1.99 | 0.43 | 0.31 | Combined with plastic oil containers |
| Manitoba | 14.3 | 1.54 | 0.26 | 0.39 | 0.03 |
| Quebec | 60.38 | 9.64 | 2.15 | 1.76 | 0.09 |
| New Brunswick | 3.69 | 0.97 | 0.24 | 0.12 | 0.01 |
| Prince Edward Island | 0.15 | 0.11 | 0.06 | 0.02 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 211.08 (million litres) | 27.23 (million filters) | 6.92 (million kg) | 5.21 (million litres) | 0.13 (million kg) |
The newest programs, New Brunswick and PEI, however, achieved volumes above the required objectives for all designated products.
To determine the annual amounts collected, the associations also factor in how much a product, such as used oil, is consumed in use as well as collected and reprocessed. In New Brunswick and PEI, for example, it is permissible to burn used oil in small furnaces.
Manitoba is conducting a study on what volume of antifreeze is available for recovery and where it goes if not recycled.
With the increase in use of non-metallic filters, the conversion rate for the value of a barrel of filters needs to be studied and adjusted. For plastic containers in Saskatchewan, the re-use of the 20 litre pail by farmers is included in the total annual volumes.
For details on volumes collected by each provincial association, their 2016 annual reports are available on line at www.usedoilrecycling.com. Click on your province and follow the links.
