How To Dispose of Oil Absorbent Pads

Oil-based industries require absorbent materials and personal protective equipment (PPE) to clean up their messes. Depending on the type of oil involved, there are different measures you must take to dispose of the material properly. Without proper disposal, you run the risk of fines as well as a negative environmental impact.

How To Dispose of Oily Rags for Toxic and Non-Toxic Material

Absorbents—including mats, shop towels, and rags—are non-hazardous in their natural form and can be disposed of in solid waste landfills. However, once they absorb oil, there are additional steps that you need to take to avoid federal, state, and local fines.

Not all oil is toxic. However, it’s crucial to note hazardous waste characteristics to ensure you’re complying with federal standards. In addition to federal standards, each state and local government may have its own measures to dispose of oil waste. According to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), absorbents can be disposed of in a landfill if there is no free-flowing oil remaining in the absorbent, and the materials are not characterized as hazardous by your state or local government.

Closed Loop Recycling supplies businesses like yours with oil absorbent materials to soak up both toxic and non-toxic oily waste. Connect with us today to discuss how we can be your partner in supplying and laundering oil absorbent materials.

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Do You Intend to Recycle Your Used Oil?

When handling and disposing of used oil, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires particular management standards. However, these standards only apply when used oil is recycled.

There are two standard methods of recycling used oil:

Burning Oil for Energy Recovery

Burning oil-soaked rags for energy recovery consists of removing water and contaminants from the used oil. Then, you can use it to power an industrial process or start a fire and produce heat for cement kilns. Since used oil burns well, it’s a valuable feedstock that can be used as an alternative for natural materials to produce heat and energy.

Re-Refining Oil

Consider State and Local Regulations Before Oil Absorbent Disposal

Taking state and local regulations and requirements into consideration is crucial to dispose of absorbent materials properly. Many states, local municipalities, and landfills have requirements that overpower federal rules; those handling the absorbent materials are responsible for knowing those rules. For example, some states categorize all oil-soaked absorbents as hazardous materials; therefore, they must be handled as hazardous waste. Before disposing of oil absorbents, it’s crucial to understand state and local rules and regulations.

Practicing Proper Disposal of Used Absorbents Is a Thing of the Past With CLR’s Laundering Process

Safe disposal of oil-soaked absorbent materials is essential to avoid non-compliance fines and minimize negative environmental impact. However, with Closed Loop Recycling, your business has the opportunity to reuse absorbent materials over and over again through our zero liquid discharge (ZLD) laundering process.

Closed Loop Recycling partners with industries in manufacturing, automotive, oil and gas, and more to supply them with reusable oil absorbents. By taking advantage of reusable absorbent materials, your business has the opportunity to have a more sustainable and environmentally friendly cleaning and oil absorbent disposal practice. Through our laundering process, the oil in used, soaked absorbent mats is extracted for recycling. The absorbents are then laundered and repackaged for redistribution. This eliminates 3 waste streams and turns them into 3 reusable products. CLR then supplies customers with a sustainability report to indicate the amount of waste diverted from the client’s waste manifest.

There are several absorbent materials that our industry partners use for their oil cleanups:

Mats

Absorbent mats keep particular areas clean by absorbing any liquids or oils that come in contact with them. Mats can come in many different styles, shapes, and sizes. Through the CLR laundering process, you have the opportunity to reuse them beyond their traditional lifespan.

Shop Towels

Shop towels are convenient for employees to have at their workstations if they need to wipe off their hands or tools. These towels can absorb oil, water, and coolants. In addition, they can fully absorb spills, reducing the risk of accidents and employee injury.

Rags

Absorbent T-rags come in a variety of sizes and are 100% cotton. These reusable, cost-effective rags are convenient for personal use and can seamlessly clean up most liquids. Like the other absorbent materials, the laundering treatment process enables you to keep your rags in top-notch condition so you never need to worry about investing in more than one batch of cleaning rags.

Ready to take the next step toward more sustainable disposal of your oil absorbent materials? Connect with Closed Loop Recycling today to get started.