For over 40 years, CONOU, Italy's National Consortium of Waste Oils, has been a reference point nationally and in Europe for extended producer responsibility. The first to apply this model, it has developed a highly efficient system, with a 98% rate of regeneration of end-of-life lubricating oils. Today, however, its role extends beyond guaranteeing circularity and supply chain quality: evolution also means being a driving force in promoting the decarbonisation of its extensive collection system.

The Consortium operates through a network of 58 collection companies, distributed throughout Italy, which, with 678 vehicles, recover used lubricating oils from over 103,000 collection points across the country. For this reason, in late 2023, the Italian Union for Energy and Mobility (UNEM) and CONOU signed a memorandum of understanding to promote sustainability in road transport for used oil collection, promoting the use of HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), a biofuel that cuts carbon emissions by up to 90%.

"I am very pleased because, although the production and use of HVO is a distinct activity compared to our typical collection, it shares its core philosophy," CONOU President Riccardo Piunti tells Renewable Matter. "We are promoting the recycling of plant matter to produce HVO, a biofuel that powers the vehicles with which we collect oil destined for regeneration. It is a virtuous cycle that boosts resource recovery."

The UNEM–CONOU memorandum of understanding

According to the memorandum, UNEM—an organisation derived from the former Petroleum Union—commits to distributing HVO to its partners and making it easily accessible to collection operators, both on the road network and wholesale. For its part, CONOU, which since 2021 has started to support its partners in the transition to Euro 6 vehicles, promotes the use of HVO among its collectors.

"Our role in this matter, beyond providing an economic incentive (which we wanted to introduce to bolster this transition, as we are already doing for Euro 6 vehicles), is also to act as a catalyst. Our collection partners are often family businesses, with people who are ready to get to work, invest, and innovate. Thus, our task also becomes to offer a better understanding and a strategic direction," says Piunti. "The fact that the Consortium gave a push in this direction has probably been decisive because it contributed to popularising an initiative launched by companies in the larger market of oil-based products."

The benefits of using HVO

However, what are the real benefits of a transition to HVO? "Obviously, our partners have tested this new fuel," says Piunti. "For example, one of our collectors decided to try it out immediately on certain vehicles and reported back on the experience. The first step was a verification of permits, which turned out to be rather simple. They then carried out a technical assessment, which found that there were no problems even in the early stages, nor when the new fuel was mixed with the conventional one."

The final step was a performance analysis. "The company noted a small increase in consumption because HVO is lighter than conventional diesel, but it also saw a significant benefit. The particulate filter clogged far less often, halving the frequency of regeneration."

There were also benefits concerning another matter, which had already emerged in the 1990s with biodiesel when the fuel's plant origin favoured the formation of algae and mould within tanks. "Since HVO is hydrogenated and much more refined, tests showed that no residues were formed and there was no need to carry out specific treatments of fuel tanks," Piunti adds.

Trust and quality are connected

The adoption of HVO by the first of CONOU's collection partners was a success, driving other companies to follow its example and thus boosting the sustainability of the entire sector. More generally, this is a model that has sparked interest globally because of its results.

"We have been contacted by businesses in large countries such as India, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, who are interested in our model. They are not asking us what systems or technologies we use, but how we make the system work: collecting, analysing, monitoring, and regenerating 183,000 tonnes of used oil. The secret is not just quality—the keyword at every stage—but also trust, which we must protect. Saying 'my product is regenerated' is not enough: someone must be willing to use it. The presence of substandard products undermines the credibility of the entire system, putting circularity at risk," Piunti concludes.

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