The program aims to recycle containers of lubricants used at U.A.E. automotive service centers – some of which carry Total lubricants exclusively, others of which also carry other brands. Empty containers of engine oils and other lubes will be collected in bins and later transported to a Veolia facility where oil will be separated from the plastic, which will then be shredded, grinded and processed into recycled high-density polyethylene.

Like virgin HDPE, the recycled material can be used as a raw material in production of plastic materials.

The sustainability movement is spurring increased efforts to recycle used lubricants. Used lubricant containers have historically been challenging to recycle because of difficulty removing residual oil from the plastic.

Initially just a few service centers are participating, but the companies plan to expand to 15 by mid-year and around 150 by the end of 2024.

The program is being led by TotalEnergies Marketing Middle East, a subsidiary that manufactures and markets lubricants, aviation fuels and specialty fuels throughout the Middle East and Central Asia. The program uses Recapp, an application that Paris-based Veolia developed to recycle low-volume materials in the U.A.E. Low-volume wastes are traditionally difficult to recycle because the lack of scale increases per-unit costs.