Motor oil, or what some of us refer to as dinosaur oil, can be a nuisance to handle and problematic when you don’t know the proper way of disposal. But there is help. Recycling the icky sticky oil is good for the environment. In fact, in most states it is illegal to pour it down the drain or throw it away in the trash.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why. Just in case you don’t know, here’s a reminder: pouring used oil down a drain or storm sewer will eventually cause it to seep into streams, lakes, or the wetlands. This causes a lot of innocent animal life to become coated with oil and eventually may cause their death. Oil sticks to everything from bird feathers to beach sand. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that used oil from one oil change can contaminate one million gallons of fresh water. That’s a year’s supply for 50 people. Along with causing death and destruction or getting yourself a big fat fine, there are many horrible effects of not spending the time that is necessary to recycle your motor oil. This is why we have published ways you can recycle your engine oil safely and effectively.
Put your used oil in a clean plastic container and make sure it has a tight lid. Don’t mix the oil with any other gases, solvents, or antifreeze. Keep it as pure as engine oil can be. This insures that every drop of it will be suitable for recycling. Take your used oil to a nearby recycling center, a service station, an oil change business, or any other location that will accept oil. If you can’t find a place near you, try looking online by doing a simple online search for “recycle oil” and the name of your city or town. 99% of the time a local oil change business that recycles oil will pop up.
Not only can you recycle the oil, but you can also properly dispose of the used oil filter. After you take out the old oil filter, drain the oil out of it by punching an air hole in the top. Let the filter completely drain. It takes about 12-24 hours to do. Then you can safely dispose of it.
There are plenty of reasons why recycling motor oil is the right thing to do. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that on average, about four million people reuse motor oil as a lubricant for equipment or at a recycling facility. Nowadays, we can take motor oil and re-refine it into new oil, using it as raw material for petroleum industries. One gallon of used motor oil provides the same 2.5 quarts of lubricating oil as 42 gallons of crude oil.
If you are still unsure of the proper way to recycle motor oil, then leave it to the experts. There are plenty of oil change businesses across America, and finding one in your neighborhood will not be a challenge. If you choose to change your oil yourself, then become the four million and one used motor oil recycler! With everyone’s help, we could start to eliminate much of our foreign oil need. All we need is to take these necessary steps!
