At AVISTA OIL, we continue to engage intensively with the document ‘Lubricants & Greases: End of Life – Sustainable Best Practices’ (2024) published by ATIEL and UEIL. In our content series, we show how the approaches described therein are already being implemented at AVISTA OIL today.
Today's focus: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
What does the EoL document say?
Chapter 3.6 emphasises the importance of life cycle assessment (LCA) for evaluating environmental impacts throughout the entire product life cycle – from raw materials to disposal. Particular emphasis is placed on the ecological impact of regenerated base oils: Studies show that they have a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to mineral base oils from primary refining.
Exemplary data from the document:
- CO₂ savings of up to 65% for re-refined base oils (RRBOs)
- Significantly reduced environmental impact during production, transport and use
What is the ecological balance at AVISTA OIL?
Our re-refining technology produces base oils with a measurable climate benefit:
✅ Significant CO₂ savings: up to 1,530 kg CO₂ equivalents per tonne of KERNSOLVAT® compared to primary refining
✅ Significant crude oil replacement: over 30 tonnes of crude oil saved per tonne regenerated
✅ Reduced pollutant load: fewer plant-damaging components and fewer carcinogenic substances
These results are scientifically proven: the independent study by IFEU Heidelberg (2022) confirms the advantages of our re-refining process over fossil fuel production – also with regard to air pollutants, energy consumption and water consumption. The results are also certified by DEKRA and IFEU.
Conclusion
What the ATIEL/UEIL document calls for is a measurable reality at AVISTA OIL:
By regenerating waste oil, we actively reduce environmental pollution – transparently, scientifically proven and traceable.
In the next article in our series: Re-Refined Base Oils (RRBOs) – what characteristics distinguish them and why they can compete with base oils from primary refining.