Virgin Oil Waste: Used Oil Waste

["Richard Illig (717) 327-3568" <ILLIG.RICHARD@a1.pader.gov>]

    From: R. Illig
    RE: Waste Virgin Oil & Used Oil Waste
    
    One & All,
    
    Recently, in discussing the recycling of plastic oil containers, 
    the number 3.4 billion plastic containers produced yearly was 
    used.  Also, (on a similar topic) if each empty container still 
    held about one ounce of virgin oil, that the resulting disposal of 
    the containers meant that a huge amount of oil was also being 
    disposed of annually...dwarfing the Exxon Valdez spill many times 
    over.
    
    Does anyone have documentation to reflect these figures??
    
    Likewise, I have an article addressing the recycling of used 
    (auto) oil which states that only about 10 percent of the 190 
    million gallons produced yearly actually gets recycled.  
    Reportedly, the remainder...16 TIMES THE EXXON VALDEZ SPILL...goes 
    elsewhere (sewers, landfills, burners,etc.).
    
    Does anyone have documentation to support these numbers??
    
    Seems to me we ought to be swimming in oil if this is the case.  
    If true, especially about the used oil, seems time for regulators 
    to take a different approach before we are swimming in the stuff.  
    (I have been a big advocate of handling used oil as a recyclable 
    for years now but government seems dedicated to regulating oil for 
    the worse.)(I know some people will always mix hazardous wastes 
    and other stuff in with their used oil, but that seems to still 
    happen, and I don't believe it can ever be controlled.  I also 
    doubt the overall potential harmful effects that may occur unless 
    everybody started mixing weird stuff in used oil.)
    
    Can anyone cast clarity on these numbers, sources of information, 
    approaches in other states/countries?  Does any state/country show 
    better success at recycling or collection of used oil?  I would 
    like to handle waste oil (hydraulic, industrial, etc.) separately, 
    but any information addressing this topic, aside from virgin 
    oil/used oil would also be appreciated.
    
    Thank you,
    
    Ric