Waste Oil is an environmental hazard; one litre of waste oil can pollute one million litres of fresh water. Coupled with scarcity, lubricating oil accounts for 2-3% of a barrel of crude oil; the need to recycle waste oil is urgent.

EWOR (Environmental Waste Oil Recycling) collects and re-refines used lubricating oils, preventing millions of litres from being burnt or dumped and instead turning them back into high-quality base oils for industry.

“We are very passionate about what we do,” says Irene von Knoblauch-Dreyer, Managing Director of EWOR.

“For a long time, we were banging our heads against a wall, trying to have conversations about the environment and sustainability, and people would always bring it back to only economics. But for us, true recycling is about sustainability in every sense, the product, the environment, the business, jobs, and people.”

Von Knoblauch-Dreyer explains that the roots of the business go back three generations. “My grandfather worked as a lubrication engineer in Germany during the war. They did not have access to crude oil refining, so out of necessity, they developed ways of re-refining used oil back into base oil. That technology came with him to South Africa.”

Today, EWOR operates alongside its sister company, Flexilube.

“EWOR is a waste oil collection company,” she says. “Flexilube is a re-refinery and blending plant. For me, it is one business, circular by design, but we keep them as separate entities for identity and regulation.”

The focus is on lubricating oils, the industrial fluids that keep engines and machinery running. “We process waste lubricating oil from gearboxes, hydraulics and engines,” says von Knoblauch-Dreyer. “You cannot mix cooking oil with hydraulic oil or antifreeze with engine oil; those are classified separately. That distinction is critical, which is why the EPR legislation was so specific.”

Lubricating oil is a scarce fraction of crude. “Only one to two per cent of a barrel of crude oil is lubricating oil,” she explains. “It takes enormous amounts of energy to extract because it is the last fraction to come off. That makes it precious, so to just burn it at the end of life is madness.”

South Africa’s head start

South Africa has a long history of oil recycling. “Pre-1994 there was a government subsidy for re-refining raised through a tax on new lubricant sales. For every litre of waste oil you re-refined into base oil, you were paid. It was forward-thinking, driven by South Africa’s need to reduce reliance on imported base oils at the time, but with huge environmental benefits, because waste oil was not being dumped or burnt.”

Although that scheme ended, the Rose Foundation, established in 1994, has carried the torch. “As a lubricant producer, you pay a levy to the Rose Foundation for every litre sold into the South African market. That money is used to incentivise collection and support environmentally responsible and compliant practices. In effect, we were practicing extended producer responsibility before it was legislated.”

Today, EWOR collects around nine million litres of used oil annually. “It’s a competitive market,” she notes.

“Used oil has always had an inherent value because it can be burnt as fuel. But that is not recycling, that’s recovery. True recycling means circularity. We can re-refine the same molecule up to seven times. When you burn it, it is gone, and you are releasing dangerous particulates and heavy metals into the atmosphere.”

Use of waste oil as burner fuel results in an increase of up to 99% in emissions of criteria pollutants to the atmosphere compared to re-refinement of waste oil, resulting in a negative impact on the environment and human health.

EWOR runs its own fleet of trucks and tankers. “We don’t set minimum volumes,” says von Knoblauch-Dreyer. “A small generator today could be a major partner in five years. For us, building partnerships is more important.”

Safety is central. “Used oil is classified as hazardous waste, so our drivers receive Hazchem & spill response training. We carry specialised environmental insurance. If a truck accident spills oil, you need expert companies to remediate the soil, test it, and monitor it for months. It is not something you take lightly.”

How re-refining works

1. Collection: Used lubricating oil is gathered from workshops, mines and factories, stored safely in drums or tanks, and transported to the re-refinery.
2. Dewatering: Water and light contaminants are removed. Even a small percentage of water makes the process inefficient.
3. Thermal & Chemical Cracking: Heat and chemical treatment break down long hydrocarbon chains and separate impurities from the valuable oil molecules.
4. Filtration: Using diatomaceous earth, impurities are trapped and removed. This stage is vital to ensure oil purity.
5. Distillation: The refined oil is distilled to produce base oil, ready to blend into new lubricants.
6. By-products: Wastewater, tar residues and spent filtration material are carefully managed, with ongoing research into turning them into useful products instead of disposal.

Managing waste streams

Re-refining also produces by-products, which require careful handling.

“You’ve got wastewater, tar residues, and spent filtration on earth,” she says.

“The problem is you do not always know what you are getting in waste oil. Instead of separating at source, people illegally mix antifreeze, glycols, greases, and all sorts of synthetic fluids. That makes the waste stream unpredictable.”

Despite the challenges, EWOR pursues alternatives to disposal. “Our R&D team and external partners are constantly looking at ways to reuse these by-products, whether in bitumen, compost, or even packaging. We cannot talk about true recycling unless we also take responsibility for the waste we generate.

South Africa’s energy and water crises have forced resilience. “We see it as an opportunity to improve our business,” says von Knoblauch-Dreyer. “We invested in generators years ago, and now we are steadily moving to solar as we expand. On the water side, our aim is to reuse treated effluent in our own processes so that we do not draw from the municipal supply. It is all about becoming more self-sufficient.”

Flexilube’s re-refined base oils go into industrial applications, mining, manufacturing, hydraulics, and gears. “For mining companies, reducing carbon footprints is critical. Our products offer up to 90% lower environmental impact compared to virgin crude-based lubricants. That is a huge incentive, especially with carbon taxes coming into play.”

The future of oil recycling

Von Knoblauch-Dreyer is optimistic. “We now have EPR legislation and a strong industry body in the Rose Foundation. The focus is shifting away from destroying waste oil by burning it and towards true recycling. That is exciting because we have technology, raw materials, and people. This could contribute significantly to South Africa’s manufacturing sector.

She adds: “Not one litre of lubricant is refined from crude in South Africa anymore. We are a net importer of virgin base oil. So, if the country is serious about self-sufficiency and sustainability, re-refined base oils are the way.”

Her vision is clear: “Our plan is to keep growing, keep investing, and keep educating the industry. There needs to be both carrots and sticks, incentives, and penalties, so that companies choose the environmentally sound option. Only then can this industry thrive.

By Duncan Nortier