Executive Summary
Many of the practices that support lowering carbon footprint have other benefits to a lubrication regime. A large majority of readers agree that promoting energy efficient lubricants is an important and commonsense practice. Using the right amount of the right lubricant for an application is a well-established best practice that can reduce costs and waste. Exploring more renewable sources for lubricants as well as pursuing a circular economy are more ways readers believe the industry can improve its sustainability. 
Q. What are the most important actions that the lubricant industry should take to help reduce the carbon footprints of its heavy industrial customers? 

Improve efficiencies for manufacturing parts. Promote remanufacturing where possible. 

In addition to the emissions associated with manufacturing the lubricant and its raw materials, the impact of the lubricant on the efficiency of the user’s equipment also needs to be taken into account when looking at the overall impact on emissions. Using renewable or rerefined base stocks where feasible makes a significant difference. 

Since base oils make up the greatest portion of most common industrial lubricants, it is necessary to minimize the carbon footprint of the base stocks first. If possible, moving to synthetic or natural chemistries to focus on either longer sump lives to reduce consumption and/or move toward more sustainable chemistries with minimal/no impact on carbon footprint will be key. Rerefined oils will help through recycling as well. 

Help them reduce their oil consumption. 

There is not just a one magical solution or silver bullet; there will be a lot of small contributions in order to reach the final target: better lubricant control and management, larger oil drain intervals, products coming from renewable sources and a more circular economy (as rerefined base oils), synthetic lubricants obtained for CO₂ capture, etc. 

To make reusable lubricants for the heavy industrial customers. 

Educate end-users to achieve understanding of the low costs and high rewards when “investing” in optimized lubricants, resulting in low friction and long lubricant/component life. 

Regular equipment inspections and oil analysis to identify/remediate leaks and prevent unnecessary oil changes. 

One thing could be to reuse oils. Reusing oils instead of disposing of them is a logical step to achieve sustainability. 

Recycle or look into more renewable resources. 

Recognize that lubricants exist to make equipment run better and reduce friction. STLE has consistently had a community that seeks to use the best lubricant solution. Reducing friction, improving equipment reliability and encouraging the use of optimal efficiency lubricant solutions is who we are. Reduced carbon footprint is the current buzzword that encapsulates, to a large extent, what we are already doing. 

Focus more on lubricant/machinery reliability and extending lubricant life. Analyzing used lubricants to make sure the maximum useful life has been realized. 

Choosing the right oil for an application. 

Usage of renewable base stocks in lubricant formulations and offering long drain and energy efficient lubricants. 

Reduce lubricant waste streams through recycling, condition monitoring and extended drain intervals. 

Look at friction reducing formulations and quantify energy savings for reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. 

Provide means of safe oil disposal. 

Maximize performance so as to reduce energy consumption in our customers’ equipment. 

Choosing raw materials produced with low carbon emission/industrial processes with lower energy consumption (improving the process or using alternative source of energy like solar, wind), develop new synthetic base oils with improved performance, reconditioning of used lubricants. 

Fuel economy lubricants, more use of engineered vegetable oils (better stability), recycled base oils, effective antioxidant systems to prolong the useful life of lubricants. 

Move to synthetics where possible, continue to develop more effective products that reduce friction and energy use. 

To use greener or biobased base oils and additives. 

First of all the lubricant industry should agree on calculation of carbon footprints related to lubricants production and then to application and utilization. Agreed “standardized” calculation should be used to improve lubricants “eco-quality,” which includes carbon footprints potential in application. Energy efficiency is part of the calculations. 

Publicize actual numbers about what better lubes can do. 

Engineer longer lasting and more efficient fluids. 

Define industrywide guidelines on how to assess the carbon footprint of a product, including assessment of the use phase. Come up with clear concepts of how the lubricants can maintain their performance while becoming more carbon friendly. 

Conservation and consolidation of lubricant usage. 

Intensify research and promote the advocacy for alternative lubricant derived from biodegradable and renewable sources such as vegetable and animal oils to replace mineral based stocks. Also, formulation of best practices to minimize greenhouse gas emissions through proper disposal and reuse of spent lubricants. 

I think the most useful vectors for research/action would be focusing on improved lubricant stability and energy efficiency. The more stable and robust a lubricant is at doing its job, the less of it that needs to be produced for a given amount of industrial activity. 

Look to upgrade these customers into synthetic lubricants to extend useful service life in many applications. This promotes the use of less lubricants, thereby reducing the carbon footprint. Synthetics also promote better fuel economy or energy efficiency in the machinery being lubricated. 

1.) Improve energy efficiency using customized lubricants for the various energy intensive applications. 2.) Increase oil drain intervals. 3.) Use lubricants formulated from rerefined oils. 

Does it make sense to promote energy efficient lubricants?
Yes 97%
No 3%
Based on an informal poll sent to 15,000 TLT readers.

Increase the energy efficiency. 

Maintenance of the lubricant keeping them clean to extend their useful life and consume less. 

Work to create a standardized method to calculate carbon footprints with life cycle analysis. 

Promoting the use of lubricants with high biogenic content. Recycling of all petroleum and biobased lubricants. 

Run testing and collect data together with customers to demonstrate how going to a higher quality formulation can provide fuel/battery efficiency, longer oil drain intervals and justify the higher cost of fluid through reduced total cost of ownership. Less downtime, less oil disposal costs and a better utilization of the energy that is put in will help customers reduce their carbon footprint while improving their operations. 

It will be necessary to help the customers understand proper oil care and maintenance and implementation of technologies and practices, which will reduce overall consumption of lubricants. 

Extending the durability of oils and greases used as lubricants; enabling the reuse of used oils by refining them, as well as by developing appropriate procedures for mixing them with new compatible lubricants; control and reduction of lubricant leaks; extending the service life of the seals. 

Good quality base oil usage. 

A lubricant impacts carbon footprint in two ways: 1.) It requires a certain amount of carbon input to produce the lubricant and keep the machine operating. 2.) It reduces the energy required to run and extends the life of a piece of equipment. Therefore, lubricants should be optimized to minimize the carbon input while maximizing machine efficiency. 

There are four main points that we can raise to reduce the carbon footprint of a lubricant: 1.) Less emission during oil blending. 2.) Use renewable components (base oil and additives). 3.) Use package with a lower CO₂ impact (recycled material, for example). 4.) Optimize the storage and the distribution. 

Produce lubricants that provide longer service intervals, so that the amount of lubricant required and the amount of used oil to be disposed of are minimized. In addition, provide used oil reclamation services that extend the service life of in-service lubricants, allowing for less replacement and disposal. 

1.) For lubricant application, please consider the lower-emission internal combustion engine powertrain system and battery electric vehicle/hybrid electric vehicle drivetrain application in the auto industry. For other industrial sectors, please consider the high performance, fuel economy lubricant application in power, mining, heating/cooling, marine, agriculture, etc. 2.) For lubricant production, we can consider renewable energy such as solar/wind power usage in blending, and the recycling package application. 3.) For used oil, its life cycle assessment should be evaluated, then recycled, rerefined or reused. Avoid leakage and environmental contamination. 

Develop carbon neutral lubricants or purchase carbon credits for their heavy industrial customers. 

We need to be looking to sustainable base oils like developments happening in the space of alternative fuels. The industry must fairly work toward moving away from the conventional manufacturing practices. There has been a huge emphasis on ester manufacturing from used cooking oils, hydrogenated nonedible oils and animal fat oils. This shall actively contribute toward reduction of carbon footprints for every customer in the industry where lubricants are being used and needed. 

Should rerefined base oils be incorporated in larger amounts to reduce the carbon footprints of lubricants?
Yes, of course 25%
Yes, only if the quality can be guaranteed 71%
No 4%
Based on an informal poll sent to 15,000 TLT readers.

Must look into feasible formulation of biobased lubricating oils to partially reduce consumption of conventional lubricants. 

Use of biodegradable lubricants and avoid overheating the machinery. 

It does not really make any sense to talk about the footprint of a lubricant in a cradle-to- grave perspective. Thus, as in most applications, it is the friction losses during the usage phase that dominate the footprint. Therefore, the focus has to be on the tribological system (machine element and lubricant) as one unit. Here we can together reduce the footprint, but it is not a one-sided action from the lubricant industry. 

Progressively switch over to synthetic base oils made from sustainable raw materials. 

1.) Reduce large volumes of lubricants used unnecessarily. 2.) Minimum quantity lubrication is the way to go. 3.) Reduce high-boiling, low-quality bottom distillates in lubricants. 

Be aware of your suppliers. 

It should be considered that both parts are important—not only the carbon footprint. Additionally the handprint is important as well. It will not make sense if the used lubricant has a very low product carbon footprint (PCF) and double the carbon handprint at the same time. 

To embrace a low- and zero-carbon strategy across its entire value chain, and to provide enhanced solutions that will reduce carbon emission and ecological footprint derived from end-users’ activities. 

Circular economy; extend the life of lubricants; developing new, more environmentally friendly lubricants. 

Improve grease lifetime, so relubrication processes and failing bearings are less occurring. 

Biodegradable base oils instead of fossil fuels base oils; if we use energy efficient lubricants, we can reduce the carbon footprints. 

Use of rerefined materials and promoting in-use benefits (total PCF rather than part of value chain). 

Consumption reduction and waste minimization through advanced technology products, optimization and predictive maintenance programs; energy efficient lubricants; biobased and rerefined products. 

Select a preferred method of calculating carbon footprint and set a baseline. 

Try to use processes that make some type of effort to help reduce typical carbon emissions. 

The lubricant industry should take the following actions to reduce the carbon footprints of its heavy industrial customers: 1.) Using environmentally friendly lubricants: They are biodegradable and non-bioaccumulative products that are minimally dangerous for the environment. 2.) Using biodegradable lubricants: Lubricant biodegradability represents the chemical degradation of the lubricant caused by its contact with microorganisms. While the physical traits of the substance change, the molecular structure remains the same. The base oils that meet the strict biodegradability properties such as polyalkylene glycols, synthetic esters and vegetable oils should be used often. 3.) Using biobased lubricants: This type of lubricant is derived from biobased raw materials that serve as their basis. That could be animal fats, vegetable oils or any other ecofriendly hydrocarbons. Apart from being renewable and sustainable, biobased lubricants also share some great lubrication characteristics, especially when compared to mineral oils. For example, they have exceptional lubricity, a high flash point, a high viscosity index and good shear resistance. 4.) Using green lubricants: A green lubricant combines the characteristics of biodegradability and the use of a raw, biobase. These lubricants are safe for the environment and degrade fast without leaving toxic substances. 5.) Using rerefined base oils: Rerefined oil is used motor oil that undergoes an extensive rerefining process to remove contaminants to produce a good-as-new base oil. Additives are added to this base oil after rerefining to produce lubricants such as motor oil, transmission fluid and grease, etc. 

Premium quality, longer oil drain interval, right application, biodegradability. 

Editor’s Note: Sounding Board is based on an informal poll sent to 15,000 TLT readers. Views expressed are those of the respondents and do not reflect the opinions of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers. STLE does not vouch for the technical accuracy of opinions expressed in Sounding Board, nor does inclusion of a comment represent an endorsement of the technology by STLE.