In an effort to not only create, but maintain environmental standards in the used oil industry, the ROSE Foundation and NORA-SA have embarked on strategies to ensure accountable and responsible collection, recycling and provision of renewed resources in South Africa.
It is a collective and mutual relationship that was in place before 2005, but expanded after 2005 to include the broader collection society in South Africa, with the specific focus and objective to structure and formalize the informal collection sector in such a manner that ROSE from an environmental producer responsibility (EPR) is seen to be responsible and accountable.
ROSE members levy their members per litre of new oil produced and this is income is used by ROSE to incentivize collections, set up infrastructures in specific gap areas (industrial developing areas where there is limited or insufficient infrastructure), propagate the potential harm products may cause, involvement in community projects and in general assistance to previously disadvantaged communities etc.
To achieve these aims a need arose for a partner to collect, recover and process as much volumes as possible. At this stage only 180 million of the 270 million produced litres are recovered although the last two years have seen the steady increase of recoverable old oil.
Besides collectors and processors being incentivized, ROSE have set up agreements with both to ensure that the collection, storage and recycling/ processing is done within legal and environmental compliance standards.
Typical examples would be the following:
1) All processors are encouraged to obtain ISO 14001 standards, and once this is achieved, ROSE incentivizes processors on volumes recycled, and this is an incentive developed to contribute towards the maintenance of the ISO standards.
2) Processors & collectors are incentivized by way of R0-30c/ litre for collection in outlying areas further than 100 kilometres away from a bulking/ storage or processing facility and R0,10c/ litre in the case of urban areas.
3) To ensure environmental- and legal compliance the following auditing or checking systems have been introduced:
· Collectors are being assessed by processors and checklists for checking are being maintained at the processor sites who are all ISO 14001 compliant
· ROSE has appointed an environmental officers whom effects random checks at all processors and within collectors operating
· ROSE pays an appointed external environmental auditing Company (WSP Walmsley) to once a year, assess all collectors and facilities and bring out a report which is submitted to ROSE. These reports play and invaluable role specifically in the case of processors, as such reports may be submitted as a objective and external report to the Department of Environmental Affairs in order to honour requirements as set out in processor’s permits/ licenses in terms of their activities.
New Enviro Centre Facilities
In an effort to assist Municipalities ROSE and NORA SA have engaged with the Municipalities of Plettenburg Bay, Knysna, Mossel Bay, Oudtshoorn, Riversdale and George and the Eden District Municipality for the placement of containers at all disposal sites open to the public. In total 24 will be placed at convenient venues to enable the recovery of used oil.
The idea is for the public to bring their used oil filters and used oil to these facilities to dispose safely the said commodity. The containers will be marked and identified on all sites and Municipality personnel had received training in this regard.
Oil Separation Solutions (Pty) Ltd has been appointed by the Eden District Municipality to collect the said oils and transfer it to the ROSE approved storage facility based in Beach Boulevard East, Diaz Mossel Bay.
There is no cost to the public to dispose use oils and filters however no contaminated rags/ waste will be allowed – ONLY Oil filters and used oil. These facilities will NOT cater for the industries.
The used oil that is referred to is motor/ engine oil and not cooking/ sunflower oils.
Tuinroete Agri has also joined the initiative and 1000 litre containers have been placed on certain depots such as Albertinia, Riversdal, Uniondale and Herold.
Interested industries and the public are welcome to contact the Mossel Bay Bulking facility at office number (044) 695 4922 to arrange collections or dropping at the facility.