The California Senate Committee on Environmental Quality approved legislation that would ensure all automotive oil sold in California provides 10,000 miles of lubrication.
Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) authored SB 778 to protect both consumers and the environment.
“Right now we’re seeing millions of Californians paying for motor oil that performs poorly and requires expensive oil changes far too often,” said Senator Allen. “By improving motor oil standards, we can save consumers money, improve gas mileage and finally eliminate unsafe oils that can actually damage our cars and trucks.”
By reducing the number of oil changes, SB 778 will also reduce one of the largest hazardous waste streams in California. Over 115 million gallons of motor oil are sold in the state each year, but only about half of it is recycled.
In addition, many drivers spend 2 to 3 percent more on gasoline because low quality motor oil causes a decrease in gas mileage; over the course of 15,000 miles of driving, these drivers spend an average of 45 dollars more on gasoline. SB 778 is one of several bills in the Senate seeking to implement Governor Jerry Brown’s recently announced goal of reducing petroleum use in cars and trucks by up to 50 percent by 2030. It will also help the state meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030.
Low quality motor oil also contains hazardous materials and just one gallon of used motor oil can foul the taste of 1 million gallons of drinking water.
SB 778 would require all automotive oil sold in California to provide 10,000 miles of safe lubrication by 2018.
Published in the July 2015 Edition of American Recycler News
