Brazil lubricant waste management and regulation

Brazil is expanding its efforts to manage lubricant waste and regulate the petroleum derivative market. The Descarte Consciente Abrafiltros program, which has operated since 2012, has reached a milestone of recycling over 57 million used lubricating oil filters across several states, including São Paulo and Paraná. This reverse logistics initiative is designed to meet environmental standards for Class I hazardous waste by reintegrating metals into production and ensuring proper oil treatment.

Parallel to these recycling efforts, Brazilian authorities are intensifying enforcement against illegal lubricant trade. In 2026, joint operations by the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) and the Consumer Police (Decon) seized 526,000 liters of irregular lubricants. Nearly half of this volume was identified as used or contaminated lubricant oil (OLUC) collected clandestinely, particularly in the state of Goiás.

Regulatory oversight is being strengthened by Law No. 15,517, which increases penalties for the theft, smuggling, and illicit receipt of petroleum derivatives and lubricants. Organizations such as the Instituto Combustível Legal (ICL) are supporting these enforcement actions by partnering with entities like Lwart and the Instituto Jogue Limpo to reprocess non-compliant oil and recycle packaging.