The Base Lubricants, which are produced or imported in Europe, need to be registered according to Regulation (ΕC) 1907/2006 (REACH). This responsibility concerns not only the primary base lubricant producers but also the regenerators.

Aim of REACH regulation is to ensure the health and security of the users at the supply chain (industrial users, professionals as well as consumers). The achievement of REACH is the drawing-up of an extensive Safety Data Sheet including the registered chemical substances.

In conjunction with REACH, Regulation (ΕC) 1272/2008 (CLP)  sets the conditions for the classification, the labeling requirements as well as the proper packaging of lubricant products, depending on their hazardous features. Its aim is to inform the users at the supply chain in a competent and comprehensible manner about possible hazards during the use of the chemical products.

In simple terms, the label on the container provides all necessary information for the proper use of the lubricants.

Both the National (Law 4042/2012) and the European legislation (Directive 2008/98/ΕC), have created the framework for the waste lubricating oil management. Producers and users of lubricants have to comply with that Framework. The legislation accepts the evaluation results of the lifecycle and imposes the hierarchy of waste management:

• Prevention: the first option.
• Preparation for reuse.
• Recycling: product manufacturing for initial use.
• Other recovery (e.g. for energy recovery)
• Disposal: the least preferred option

Since (a) WLO cannot be used as lubricants and (b) is hazardous waste, the first two stages are not applicable. As a result, according to the legislation, recycling (re-refining) is the preferred management process. WLO producers are responsible for the treatment and the disposal of their waste.