Between 2007 and 2013, around 160 million liters of waste lubricating oil “disappeared” from the system, much of it being used illegally as heating fuel—posing risks to human health and the environment. Liberalized sales of motor oils, without effective collection oversight, created a major discrepancy between oils placed on the market and those properly collected as waste.

AmCham recommendations:

• Distinguish between professional use (service workshops) and free market sales.
• Introduce a refund fee of HRK 4/l for workshops to incentivize proper collection.
• Require all sales points (including online retailers) to accept waste oil returns.

Implementing these measures would reduce environmental and health risks, create fairer market conditions, curb the grey economy, and increase fiscal revenues.