LONDON: While the electric motor seems to be driving the eco-friendly future of the car industry, one company is looking through our bins for a similarly sustainable alternative.
Nexcel - an innovation subsidiary from Castrol - has developed an engine oil made entirely from waste products, including chewing gum and Christmas trees.
“The project showcases the sustainability potential of waste,” says John Ward-Zinski, Nexcel’s sustainability director.
“Few people would think that discarded Christmas trees and old chewing gum could have a commercial or environmental value, but our engine oil shows this is anything but the case.”
READ MORE: Nexcel plug & play oil system targets 10 million vehicles annually by 2030
The recycled items yield properties required for chemical additives that are crucial when creating a re-refined engine oil.
The complete recipe consists of 180 chewing gum pieces, 500ml of used fryer oil, 1g of RTV silicone sealant (for bathrooms), 14 household batteries, 1 litre of used engine oil and one old Christmas tree.
This somewhat extensive list of ingredients may have only produced 1 litre of automotive quality engine oil, but Ward-Zinski is confident this can be just the start of things to come.
“With creative utilisation of modern technology there is huge potential in recycling," says Nexcel's sustainability director, who also believes there are some other, unintentional benefits from the research.
"It could even help prevent the traditional Christmas tree tip-run needle-drop, from which no car interior has ever recovered.”
