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A guide for schools, cities and recycling programsHow used oil is recycled into new motor oil
Motor oil picks up dirt, water and fuel as it works in an engine. The base oil in it does not wear out, so it can be cleaned and used again. Cleaning used oil this way is called re-refining.
This page follows used oil from a repair shop to our re-refinery in Peachtree City, Georgia, and back into base oil for new motor oil and other lubricants. Schools, cities and recycling programs are welcome to use the diagram on this page.
The five steps from a shop's drain pan to new base oil
Here is the path used oil takes after a business hands it to us.
- 1At the shop. Repair shops, fleets, dealerships and factories keep used oil in tanks or drums, apart from antifreeze, solvents and other fluids.
- 2On the truck. A UES driver pumps the oil into a collection truck on a regular route and leaves a pickup receipt.
- 3At a UES facility. The truck unloads at one of 53 UES facilities in 28 states.
- 4At the re-refinery. Much of the oil travels on to our re-refinery in Peachtree City, Georgia.
- 5Back to base oil. Re-refining turns the oil into base oil for new lubricants. Oil that can't be re-refined may be used as industrial fuel.
- The shopAt the shop. Repair shops, fleets, dealerships and factories keep used oil in tanks or drums, apart from antifreeze, solvents and other fluids.
- Our truckOn the truck. A UES driver pumps the oil into a collection truck on a regular route and leaves a pickup receipt.
- A UES facilityAt a UES facility. The truck unloads at one of 53 UES facilities in 28 states.
- The re-refineryAt the re-refinery. Much of the oil travels on to our re-refinery in Peachtree City, Georgia.
- Back to base oilBack to base oil. Re-refining turns the oil into base oil for new lubricants. Oil that can't be re-refined may be used as industrial fuel.
What happens to used oil inside the re-refinery
At the re-refinery, used oil goes through treatment and separation steps that remove water, fuel, additives and other contaminants. What is left is recovered base oil. Like any base oil, it is blended with additives to make new motor oil and other lubricants.
Contaminants removed during the process are captured and recycled into an asphalt compound. Oil that is not suitable for re-refining may be used as industrial fuel.
Why re-refining used oil saves energy and crude oil
- The U.S. EPA has estimated that re-refining used oil takes about one-third of the energy needed to refine crude oil to lubricant quality.
- EPA says one gallon of used motor oil provides the same 2.5 quarts of lubricating oil as 42 gallons of crude oil.
- Base oil does not wear out, so the same oil can be re-refined again after its next oil change.
Energy to make lubricant-grade base oil
About one-third the energy, per the U.S. EPA estimate.
Used oil recycling at Universal Environmental Services
We collect more than 90 million gallons of used oil a year from more than 35,000 customers, using more than 400 collection and transport trucks and 53 facilities in 28 states. We finished the Peachtree City re-refinery in 2013. UES is part of Avista Oil, which also runs re-refineries in Germany and Denmark.
You can ask about a tour of the re-refinery. Call 770-486-8816 to check tour availability.
Use this used oil recycling diagram on your website, in class or in print
You may use this diagram for free on a website, in a class or in printed material. Please credit Universal Environmental Services and link to this page.
Code for your website
<a href="https://universalenvironmentalservices.com/how-used-oil-is-recycled/"><img src="https://universalenvironmentalservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/how-used-oil-is-recycled-diagram.png" alt="How used oil is recycled into new motor oil, in five steps" width="1600" height="1106"></a>
<p>Diagram: <a href="https://universalenvironmentalservices.com/how-used-oil-is-recycled/">How used oil is recycled</a> by Universal Environmental Services</p>
Where to recycle used oil from your own car
Universal Environmental Services picks up used oil from businesses only. If you change your own oil, your city or county recycling page lists drop-off sites near you.
Used oil pickup for shops, fleets and plants
If your business makes used oil, we can pick it up on a regular schedule. Our guide for businesses explains the same trip from your side, from storing the oil to what it becomes.