BP launches new waste management schemes

Citation

(1999), "BP launches new waste management schemes", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 51 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ilt.1999.01851ead.001

BP launches new waste management schemes

New products and materials

BP launches new waste management schemes

Keywords: BP, Environment

As an organisation, BP is committed to working towards a better environment in its broadest sense. Whether it is in the workplace or the outside world, numerous projects and investments, running into many millions of pounds, have been an integral part of BP operations worldwide over the last decade.

BP Industrial Lubricants has embraced this philosophy wholeheartedly, listening to its customers' concerns, and as a result has developed a comprehensive range of products and services such as BP Indic-8 condition monitoring and BP Sevora HC cutting fluids. Designed to meet the needs of a wide-ranging number of industries, including metalworking, machine shops, chemicals, rubber and plastics.

Now the company has gone one stage further by launching its 1999 commitment - a new range of services designed to provide the most comprehensive level of service and support to industrial lubricant users.

BP's new initiatives include a comprehensive spill control programme. Specific on-site spillage surveys can be carried out at customers' premises to determine and limit risks proactively. For companies small or large, it is essential to practise a "duty of care" policy, and BP's new spill control programme can help advise and put into practice recommendations which lead to a more environmentally compatible working environment.

The issue of waste management is fast becoming a "hot topic" in industrial circles, with costs rising quickly and legislation continuing to tighten. Companies can no longer think purely in terms of disposal, but need to manage their waste in an effective manner. BP is now offering two new waste management services dependent on a customer's particular needs.

It is common practice in industry to dispose of water-soluble waste by tanker. However, if you consider that 90 percent of that waste is water, is this an environmentally sound option? First, the potential risks for spills to occur en-route are higher and, second, the costs involved are significant.

BP is now offering a mobile filtration service for on-site treatment up to 20,000 litres a day. The BP unit will separate the water from the waste, leaving the latter to be taken off-site for disposal and the remaining water can then either be discharged to drain (subject to consent) or recycled for cleaning operations.

In addition to the treatment of water-soluble waste, some lubricating oils and neat cutting oils can also be processed on-site, extending the product life and ensuring the minimisation of off-site disposal.

Where this recovery process is unsuitable to be undertaken at a customer's premises BP is offering a dedicated oil reconditioning service. BP will recover, recondition and return the oil to a "fit-for-purpose" state for reuse by the customer. BP collects used oils, takes them for filtration, cleaning and analysis to establish how close they are to the original specification. Top-up oils and additives are then added and finally, when reconditioned, they are delivered back to the customer via dedicated tankers.

BP is planning to introduce more new services throughout 1999 which combine quality, performance and value, providing customers with cost-effective and environmentally responsible solutions.