As the concept of sustainability in lubes and greases grows in popularity and is more widely analyzed, it becomes more comprehensive. It also becomes clear that sustainable lubricants involve more than just the raw materials and finished goods. It should also include a thorough life cycle assessment, from the extraction of base oil to transportation, processing, distribution, end use and finally disposal.

This paper highlights the incorporation of 3 approaches to manufacturing conventional or bio based greases. Its scope is on the sustainability of the manufacturing process and does not cover the raw materials or their sources.