The Importance of Used Motor Oil Recycling
In today’s world, automobiles are an important and necessary part of everyday life. Most automobiles require motor oil and other fluids like transmission and brake fluid to run properly. To keep a vehicle running well, an owner should change the vehicle’s motor oil and fluids regularly as defined by the manufacturer. With regular maintenance comes a responsibility to know how and where to properly recycle used motor oil and associated vehicle fluids within your local community.
Nationally there are more than 12,000 community-based oil recycling locations provided by either your local government or private businesses such as auto parts stores or service stations. According to the American Petroleum Institute (API), over 600 million gallons of motor oil is purchased each year. Over half of this amount (345 million gallons) is purchased by the “do-it-yourself” vehicle owner (DIYers) – those that change their own oil.
As a DIY oil changer, you can have a positive impact on your local environment by properly handling and recycling your used motor oil and vehicle fluids.
What is used motor oil?
According to the U.S. EPA, used motor oil is any petroleum-based or synthetic oil that has been used for vehicle lubrication. As a result of normal use, motor oil becomes contaminated with various impurities such as dirt, water, chemicals or metals from your engine.
Some governmental jurisdictions classify used motor oil as hazardous. It may contain additives (e.g. rust inhibitors), contaminants (e.g. heavy metals generated through engine wear, or externally introduced materials such as PCBs from old transformer oils), potentially carcinogenic, polycyclic, aromatic compounds (from the fuel combustion process), or glycol leaked from the cooling system. Because of these “impurities,” used motor oil should be handled with care and disposed of correctly to ensure the safety of the local community, environment and waterways.
Is oil a valuable resource?
Oil originates from fossil fuels and is a valuable resource both in its original form and as a recyclable substance. Oil can be reused and recycled through reconditioning, reprocessing and re-refining. These recycling efforts help to:
- Conserve natural resources
- Protect the environment
- Reuse an existing resource
- Save energy
- Save money
In addition, used motor oil is a valuable energy resource. A large portion of the used motor oil collected is reprocessed into fuel that is burned in furnaces, turbines, power plants and manufacturing facilities to provide heat and electricity. To put this into perspective, two gallons of used motor oil can generate enough electricity to:
- Power the average home for one day
- Cook 48 meals in a microwave oven
- Blow-dry a person’s hair at least 216 times
- Vacuum a house for 15 months
- Watch television for 7 ½ days straight! (180 hours)
Why is it important to keep oil out of our waterways?
Proper recycling will ensure that used motor oil does not make its way into local surface and groundwater resources. Should oil get into the environment, it can quickly pollute large amounts of water. For instance, one gallon of motor oil can:
- Create an oil slick on surface water up to eight acres in size
- Contaminate one million gallons of freshwater. That is a year’s supply of water for 50 people!
- Render a four-acre area of soil unusable for planting for decades
In addition, used oil is insoluble, slow to degrade, and very sticky which poses a health threat to humans, plants, animals and the environment.
How do I know if I am improperly disposing of used motor oil?
If you are pouring used motor oil on the ground, into a storm drain or throwing it in your trash can (even in a sealed container), you are improperly disposing of your used motor oil. This used motor oil can work its way to local lakes, streams and water ways, polluting local water bodies and drinking water supplies, as well as damaging aquatic environments and wildlife. Used motor oil may contain potentially toxic substances, such as lead, benzene, zinc or magnesium. According to the U.S. EPA, over 40% of our nation’s oil pollution comes from the improper disposal of used motor oil by DIYers.
As of June 17th 2011 we have upgraded our comment system to use Facebook comments.
The below comments are closed and are listed for historical purposes.
laura
posted on December 17th, 2008 at 7:12 am
Hi ! I live in central/northern Arizona and the business we use is Kleilock Environmental. Their service is far superior to ANYTHING ELSE around here……Kleilock is family owned and operated and they are always friendly, clean, fast and reliable. Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention, the services we use Kleilock Environmental for is to recycle batteries, used motor oil, aluminum cans and metal and steel products.
Jakin
posted on December 29th, 2008 at 3:19 am
Greetings……I just wanted to add I’ve used Kleilock Environmental for heavy equipment hauling, trash disposal, yard cleanups and also backhoe and other related services. Their crew was very easy to work with and accomplished a job well done here in the Verde Valley.
Judie
posted on January 7th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
We have 4 cars. My husband has always done the oil changes. He recycles it at the center after he fills up the old containers and gets about 5 of them. Car changes are every 3,000 miles, so that is alot of oil used.
brittany
posted on January 24th, 2009 at 9:55 am
hi ,
I live in alabama at the time being and i think it would be harder to find a recycling center
does anybody know were a recycling ceter would be in the upper part of alabama???
Sal
posted on January 28th, 2009 at 11:50 am
Most Wal Mart stores with a Auto Service Center will take your old oil.
Gears
posted on February 7th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
You eath worshippers are pathetic…Worship the Creator not the creation, environmental wackos….i love to pour all my used oil in the storm drains…. bwahhaahah
JSR
posted on February 26th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
an oil change every 3000 miles creates a lot of used oil to dispose of. That is changing oil approximately 4-6 times per year per vehicle on average. Imagine changing oil only once per year per vehicle. How much waste would it save? Extended Drain Intervals of up to 25,000 miles without compomising vehicle manufactures warranty. Saving the planets precious ecosystem because it is purely synthetic. The technology exists now with the very first fully synthetic motor oil. First developed in 1972 and improved upon since. No other oil, synthetic or natural can compare.
There are more environmentally friendly fully synthetic alternatives available. Please visit http://www.ecosmartsynthetics.com to learn more. This may be just one little piece of the puzzle, but every little bit helps.
the importance of used motor oil recycling « tiny footprints
posted on April 17th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
[...] the importance of used motor oil recycling by earth911 [...]
JFZX9
posted on July 3rd, 2009 at 1:13 pm
JSR, we can assume you do all the maintenance on your vehicles? How often do you switch vehicles? I get at least 15 years out of those I own. Drain intervals at 25,000 won’t get you close to that. I use synthetic oils and grease; much cheaper than buying new vehicles every few years. Indeed, every little bit helps…
(Yes; I recycle the used oil I generate.)
Prasad Kanagali
posted on September 19th, 2009 at 8:33 am
Namaskar! I,m 4m India.. can anybody tel me how the engine oil is recycled? i need process..
debra
posted on September 21st, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Commenter #1 Good try Laura, I believe you are one of the “family?”‘ business owners you were bragging on. I have Found that any dealings I have had with the owners of Kleilock Environmental, have neither been clean, fast, or reliable. I have information that they are storing used oil on property that is not even zoned for business, let alone waste material. I personally have knowledge that the reported owner has filed bankruptcy. Just a warning to anyone doing business or thinking of doing business with these people be very, very, careful.
concerned and doing something about it citizen.
Richmond Mobile Brake & Tune Blog » 2009 » October » 04
posted on October 4th, 2009 at 9:04 am
[...] for consumers to properly dispose of their used motor oil.Oil is a valuable resource! According to Earth911.com oil originates from fossil fuels and is valuable in both its original form and as a recyclable [...]
Caroline
posted on October 7th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
I understand about needing to recycled used MO. But what about cooking oil that is used for frying? For households, can that be washed down the pipes? My waste water is channeled to a central sewerage.
Robert Smith
posted on October 16th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
If the information was available on how to re-refine used motor oil at home so individuals and small business could do it themselves and save money as well as help the enviroment I believe you would see the amount of used motor oil reaching the recycling centers would be drastically reduced. But then again their is no money to be made that way. The only information I have found on home re-refining concerns the use of toilet paper used to clean the oil !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Give Americans the information they need to attack a problem themselves and get out of the way!!!
K S BHARADWAJ
posted on December 31st, 2009 at 6:57 am
Hi,
Used Motor Oil is highly hazardous and it’s not child’s play. There are designated collection centers and re-refining facility around you. It is our primary resposibility to dispose used oils without any spillage.
Aaron
posted on December 31st, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Good try Debra….I personally know the owners and I think your last name is Craeger…your really stupid BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT storing used oil on their property and they are bigger than ever, You always were a fake, left your place trashy, trashy and are making up vicious lies to make them look bad. In this area any dealings people had with YOU…were horrible and your name is [EDITED] here. You are known as [EDITED] here and probably in Oklahoma where you are now. Tell me something…does your place there look like a [EDITED] and STINK as bad as you left that place here? Your suck a fake!!!! Anyone dealing with the Debra [EDITED] and her old man Steve….be very careful…as a matter of fact don’t deal with them at all. They are dopers and criminals.
J.M.
posted on December 31st, 2009 at 9:25 pm
Oh and by the way after reading that last comment……they have some next door neighbors out there that have a retarded son that steals constantly from them and his mom is a morphone addict and the father and mom are running a business out of their house 24/7. They are actually stealing water since they moved in there from the people who own the horse stables down the street.Ed the dad brags about it to all the neighbors and asks them to join in on the stealing. they think everyone owes them something and they tell their retarded son to go next door and steal all the time too. He was arrested just a few days ago when their missing equipment was found in their garage. the mom and dad both knew about it but lied to the police about it too. Really trashy neighbors. Their name is Seiler if anyone wants to know. Don’t fellowship with these people. They are thieves and criminals also
Aaron
posted on January 1st, 2010 at 7:09 pm
Debra had property in or around Kleilock and it was taken away from her by the county because both her and her husband had family drug addicts trashing the property out and doing illegal things. Both her and her husband are habitual liars and everyone around here that know of them are glad they are gone and are VERY happy with the new owners. CONCERNED AND DID DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT
RJ
posted on January 1st, 2010 at 7:14 pm
As a mattter of fact, reading Aaron’s comment – the next door neighbors to the property have a retarded son that is stealing from the owner’s of Kleilock and not only that – his mom and dad are thieves also. They have been stealing water from the couple down the street and also invite the surrounding neighbors to join in with them. The son recently was arrested and is awaiting trial from this last episode of his stealing equipment from them – totaling more than $2,000.00. The Seilers are very supportive of what he does and promise to make more trouble for the owners of Kleilock in the future. I’m glad I have a law enforcement background to put criminals like these people where they belong.!! GO KLEILOCK ENVIRONMENTAL !!!! —YOU ROCK!!!!!!!
Candy
posted on July 15th, 2010 at 11:52 pm
Hello there…..I personally know the owners of Kleilock and what wonderful people they are. I also happen to know THAT Debra (above) and her husband are in the process of trying to STEAL a large sum and amount of pesonal items from these really great people. We also know that Debra and he husband are severe alcoholics and drug addicts – and are ACTUAL CRIMINALS and have used the owners in the past to take advantage of and abuse them financially.. Most of the people around here a READY TO SEE Debra and Steve spend some time behind bars BECAUSE – isn’t that where thieves and drunk NEED TO BE?????