Skip to content
Trellis Trellis
  • Topics
  • Events
    In-person Events
    View All
    • Trellis Impact 25
    • VERGE
    • Bloom
    • GreenFin
    • GreenBiz
    • Circularity
  • Webinars
  • Network
  • Job Board
  • About
  • Subscribe
Download
Resource

Lubrication: Oiling the Cogs of Environmental Management

March 17, 2003

Living in the shadow of more fashionable issues such as energy and packaging, the importance of sustainable management of lubricants is often overlooked. Mechanical engineer Martin Williamson of Noria U.K. points out the benefits in pollution reduction and cost savings of this valuable resource.


Lubricants come from the same limited reserves as fuels, they are consumed at an uncontrolled rate, they leak from systems and after use require disposal. Companies often focus on the recycling of their packaging etc but then overlook the significant impact of lubricants and fuels on the environment.

Achievable benefits

Companies with effective environmental maintenance programs who practice good lubrication management reap significant cost and process benefits. Typically these include:

  • reductions of at least 80% in lubricant consumption
  • reductions of at least 50% in unplanned downtime and equipment failure
  • life extension of at least three fold on capital plant
  • overall equipment effectiveness rise to as much as 95%
  • increased demand in production met without building new plants
  • more competitive pricing but with increased profits
  • reductions of 40% in maintenance budgets without impacting reliability
  • overall reduction in cost of lubricant per liter

Steps towards best practice

Regularly documenting figures for your total system sump capacity, annual lubricant consumption and leakage will help in designing a plan to reduce leakage problems and extend the useful life of the lubricant.

Setting lubricant specifications requires expert input. Companies purchasing lubricants based on equipment manufacturers’ specifications should be aware this is derived as a baseline for an average user. Your site is unique so make sure standards are set according to your needs. It is you, not the equipment manufacturer, that pays the price of failure.

Taking responsibility on site for oil management and running an oil analysis program will help companies understand the root cause of problems and practice proactive maintenance.

Reducing power consumption

A key benefit to a lubricant management strategy is reduced power demand. Some studies suggest as much as a 5% reduction in power consumption can be achieved, with good lubrication management.

Reducing lubricant disposal

Apart from obvious financial gain, using lubricants more effectively reduces demand on resources. Fuels and lubricants are derived from the same source and reducing the consumption of both is critical to achieving meaningful cost/process benefits. Lubricants, when exhausted, remain in liquid form and must be disposed of correctly or recycled. Severely exhausted lubricants are not suitable for reclamation; better management of the lubricants in service ensures that they remain fit for further use.

Management of leakage is another key area, especially outdoor or mobile plant. Consider a small drop of oil the size of a small coin leaking at the rate of one drop per minute, that is about two liters of oil lost per day. Multiply that by the number of guilty systems across Europe and the end result is devastating, and expensive.

Conclusion

Every company has the responsibility to manage its lubricants more effectively and to recognize the impact of lubrication on the environment.

The key to best practice and effective environmental maintenance is training your staff in a lubricant focused proactive maintenance strategy and ensuring they have the right tools and enough time scheduled to do the job properly.

Many of the companies in Europe who have taken a lead on best practice lubrication management are using independent experts to audit sites and to establish a Lubricant Efficiency Index. The process produces valuable results which help establish an improved environmental maintenance strategy. Implementing changes and continually auditing the site ensures LEI improves year on year and the impact of the company’s “ecological footprint” is consistently reduced.

————
Martin Williamson is a graduate mechanical engineer and has managed an oil analysis program in a mining environment, more latterly supported oil analysis products in a wide variety of industries, and is currently managing Noria U.K. Limited, based in Chester.

Featured resources

A Guide to Electricity Purchasing Strategies
Sponsored
A Guide to Electricity Purchasing Strategies
Navigating Sustainable Trade Amid Global Uncertainty: How Businesses Can Embed Resilience in Supply Chains During Geopolitical Shifts
Sponsored
Navigating Sustainable Trade Amid Global Uncertainty: How Businesses Can Embed Resilience in Supply Chains During Geopolitical Shifts
A Tech-Driven Approach to Nature-Based Carbon Capture 
Sponsored
A Tech-Driven Approach to Nature-Based Carbon Capture 
Powering Net Zero: Aligning Budgets, Data and Teams for Smarter Electrification
Sponsored
Powering Net Zero: Aligning Budgets, Data and Teams for Smarter Electrification
The Definitive Guide to Global Energy Attribute Certificates
Sponsored
The Definitive Guide to Global Energy Attribute Certificates
Future-Proof with Sustainability: How Climate Action Builds Resilient, Profitable Businesses
Future-Proof with Sustainability: How Climate Action Builds Resilient, Profitable Businesses
Sphera 2025 Scope 3 Report: Forge a Path to Climate Leadership
Sponsored
Sphera 2025 Scope 3 Report: Forge a Path to Climate Leadership
The CEO’s Guide to Next-Level Business Transformation and Resilience
Sponsored
The CEO’s Guide to Next-Level Business Transformation and Resilience
Why North American Companies Need ESG Supply Chain Visibility for a Hyper-Risk World
Sponsored
Why North American Companies Need ESG Supply Chain Visibility for a Hyper-Risk World
CSRD Omnibus Simplification Proposal: Key Changes & Business Impact
Sponsored
CSRD Omnibus Simplification Proposal: Key Changes & Business Impact
Trellis
Sign in to Trellis Network
Explore
  • Resources
  • Articles
  • Webinars
Events
  • Trellis Impact 25
  • VERGE
  • Bloom
  • GreenFin
  • GreenBiz
  • Circularity
Products
  • Trellis Network
  • Trellis Briefing
  • Events
  • Media Kit
  • Job Board
About
  • Company
  • Careers
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Contact Us
Follow Us
  • Cookies
  • Privacy Policy
© 2025 Trellis Group Inc.
Get real case studies and takeaways straight to your inbox. Learn more

Stay informed

Subscribe to Trellis Briefing to receive the latest sustainability news & trends directly in your inbox.
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Loading