THE disposal of used lubricating oil in the country deserves far greater public and regulatory attention than it usually gets. Used engine oil is not ordinary household waste that can simply be poured into drains, dumped on open land, or sold to some unidentified buyer. It contains contaminants and, if improperly handled, can pose serious risks to soil, groundwater, air quality and public health.

Pakistan already has in place a regulatory framework for dealing with all kinds of used lubricants. The relevant rules describe used lubricating oil as a distinct category, and restrict the sale, purchase and storage of the commodity to arrangements involving licensed reclamation plants or their authorised agents. Reclamation itself is similarly required to be undertaken by licensed facilities.

This critical issue, however, is not merely what the law says, but what actually happens to the oil after it leaves a work-shop, service station, industrial facility, depot or company vehicle fleet.

Large organisations periodically dispose of used engine oil through tenders and auctions. Such transactions may be legitimate, but an auction or disposal certificate should not be considered the end of the regulatory chain. The authorities and the public should be able to establish who purchased the oil, whether the purchaser was authorised, where it was transported, which facility received it, how much was actually recycled or reclaimed, and what happened to the contaminated residue.

As such, this issue becomes particularly important in the case of oil marketing companies (OMCs), automotive companies, industrial establishments and large workshop networks. Companies may have environmental policies advising customers not to discharge used oil into drains or onto land, and to use appropriate recycling or disposal channels. These are welcome commitments. However, the environ- mental responsibility should ultimately be measurable through documentation.

For example, companies should be able to demonstrate their quantities of used oil generated, collection arrangements, authorised agents or recyclers, trans- portation records, recycling certificates and final destination of the material.

There is also a need to examine the enormous informal market surrounding used oil. Is some of this oil being collected without proper documentation? Is it being reconditioned or blended and subse-quently sold through informal channels?

Is used oil being burned in furnaces, boilers or other installations without appropriate environmental controls? Are contaminated residues being disposed of safely? These questions are not accusations. They are legitimate questions related to environmental governance and public accountability.

The relevant federal and provincial environmental authorities should publish periodically updated data. OMCs and major industrial and automotive companies should also be encouraged, or required, where applicable, to maintain an auditable chain of custody for used oil. Pakistan cannot afford a situation in which valuable petroleum resources disappear into an informal waste stream, while contaminated residues enter the environment.

Used engine oil still has recoverable value, but that value should be recovered through a regulated and environmentally responsible system. The basic principle should be simple: collect it safely, transport it lawfully, recycle it properly, and document where every litre finally goes. A national audit of the used lubricating oil market would be both timely and necessary.

Mubasher Mir
Karachi

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2026