Who Handles Used Oil?

Used oil handlers fall into the following categories: generators; transporters/transfer facilities; processors/re-refiners; marketers; and burners.

• Generators: Virtually everyone who performs maintenance on their personal vehicle or machinery is a used oil generator. Used oil generators fall into two categories -- unregulated and regulated.
  • Unregulated: Do-It-Yourselfers (DIYers) are exempt from the regulatory provisions that apply to regulated used oil generators with the exceptions of the prohibited practices and where a DIYer may take used oil. Therefore, DIYers are referred to as unregulated used oil generators.
    • For an explanation of who is a DIYer, see Where Does Used Oil Come from?
    • For a list of what unregulated generators may not do with used oil, see Prohibited Practices.
    • An unregulated generator is required to take used oil to either a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) collection center, a household hazardous waste collection center, a used oil collection center, a used oil marketer, a used oil processor, or a re-refiner.
      • For an explanation of where to take used oil, see Where Can I Take My Used Oil?
  • Regulated: All other used oil generators, including businesses, private organizations, school maintenance facilities, and municipal maintenance facilities are regulated used oil generators subject to the regulatory provisions for used oil management under A.R.S. §§ 49-801, 49-803, 40 CFR 279.12 and 40 CFR 279.82.
  
  
• Transporters: Anyone who collects or accepts used oil from regulated handlers of used oil, such as generators, other transporters, processors/re-refiners and burners, and transports that used oil to another facility, is a used oil transporter or transfer facility, subject to regulation under the state statutes.
  • A regulated generator may self-transport up to 55 gallons of self-generated used oil to an off-site facility, without being subject to the used oil transporter requirements.
  • On-site transportation by a regulated generator is unregulated.
  
  
• Processors: Anyone who processes used oil by chemical or physical operations designed to make the used oil more amenable for production of fuel oils, lubricants or other used oil-derived products, is a used oil processor/re-refiner, subject to regulation under the state statutes.
  
  
• Marketers: Anyone who markets used oil, or first claims that used oil that is to be burned for energy recovery meets the used oil fuel specifications, is a used oil marketer, subject to regulation under the state statutes.
  • For an explanation of the specifications refer to Used Oil Specifications.
  
  
• Burners: Anyone who burns used oil for energy recovery, such as in an asphalt hot plant, is a used oil burner, subject to regulation under the state statutes.
  • Generators who burn self-generated used oil, or used oil from DIYers, in an on-site oil-fired space heater may be exempt from the used oil regulations provided:
    • they only burn used oil from household do-it-yourself used oil generators;
    • their heater has a maximum capacity of not more than 0.5 million BTU per hour; and
    • the combustion gases from the heater are vented to the ambient air.
    Please be advised that these generators may still be subject to air quality permitting requirements.

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