An Eco-Friendly Oil Change
Deep down, you love your car. But part of this love means proper maintenance. And proper maintenance should be done with the environment in mind.
Motor oil, antifreeze and other car fluids all need to be changed on a regular basis. Many vehicle owners turn this routine maintenance into a do-it-yourself (DIY) activity.
What you may not realize is that if car fluids are not recycled or disposed of properly, they can easily make their way into our water supply and other natural habitats. Check out Earth911’s tips on handling your fluids responsibly.
Both antifreeze (also known as engine coolant) and motor oil can have negative impacts on the environment. According to a survey by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), 2.3 million people who change their motor oil may be disposing of it in a way that can be detrimental to the environment. Here is a more in-depth look at each product:
Motor Oil
Check out these facts from the Environmental Protection Agency:
- One gallon of oil can contaminate a million gallons of water
- Used motor oil is insoluble, persistent and can contain toxic chemicals and heavy metals
- It is slow to degrade
- Oil sticks to everything from bird feathers to beach sand
- It is a major source of contaminated waterways and polluted drinking water
- It takes just one gallon of used oil, yet 42 gallons of crude oil to produce 2.5 quarts of new oil
Antifreeze
Consider this:
- If discarded into sewers or storm drains, antifreeze will eventually make its way into bodies of water
- As antifreeze biodegrades in large quantities of water, it lowers the level of dissolved oxygen and kills aquatic life
- Antifreeze tastes sweet (take our word for it), which makes it enticing and potentially deadly to animals and children
It is also important to consider that these fluids are made from non-renewable resources. This makes recycling them even more important, because it preserves the resources needed to produce them.
Both state and local agencies have set up recycling locations for automotive fluids. To find an automotive recycling center near you, use Earth911’s recycling locator.
- "You Dump It, You Drink It" Environmental Protection Agency, 2003
- "Oil " Environmental Protection Agency, 2007 http://www.epa.gov/garbage/oil.htm. Municipal Solid Waste.
- "BTS Survey Finds 2.3 Million Americans Dispose of Motor Oil Improperly" U.S. Department of Transportation, 2002 http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/2002/bts027_02.html. Research and Innovative Technology Administration.
- "Antifreeze" Environmental Protection Agency, 2008 http://www.epa.gov/garbage/antifree.htm. Municipal Solid Wast.
As of June 17th 2011 we have upgraded our comment system to use Facebook comments.
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JSR
posted on February 2nd, 2009 at 5:30 pm
There are more environmentally friendly fully synthetic alternatives available. http://www.ecosmartsynthetics.com has some answers.