Facts About Oil Filters
Motor oil has several extremely important functions, so it is important that contaminants do not enter the oil and cause wear on internal parts. In order to keep the oil clean, cars are equipped with oil filters. Oil is pumped through the filter and then distributed throughout the engine.
Oil filters are composed of steel and are highly recyclable; if all the filters sold each year in the U.S. were recycled, 160,000 tons of steel would be recovered.
- Over 380 million gallons of used oil is reused or recycled in the U.S. each year, according to the U.S. EPA.
- Used oil filters are recyclable because they are made of steel – the number one recycled material in North America. This is good news, since more than 500 million oil filters are disposed of each year.
- Recycling metal saves up to 74 percent energy and 40 percent water consumption compared with using virgin materials.
- Recycling oil filters also reduces air pollution by about 86 percent and water pollution by 76 percent.
- Recycling steel and oil from filters saves non-renewable resources from being landfilled.
- Recycling one ton of filters yields 1,700 pounds of steel, 30 gallons of used oil and saves 10 cubic yards of landfill space.
- Properly recycling oil filters can prevent oil from contaminating soil and water.
- A properly drained filter still can contain a half-cup of oil, enough to pollute 31,250 gallons of water.
- Each year, over 180 million gallons of motor oil are disposed of illegally by people who change their own oil.
