Everything You Need To Know About Proper Oil Disposal
Getting rid of used engine oil isn’t as simple as placing it in the trash. Throwing your Oil out with everyday garbage could get you in trouble with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and local authorities. Whenever you replace your own automotive fluids or are a business that offers Oil change services, you have to have a plan in place for how to handle the proper disposal of your used Motor Oil and Filters. At ADCO Environmental Services, LLC, we’re sharing everything you need to know about proper oil disposal.
Nearly all internal combustion engines need Oil to protect their moving parts. Clean engine Oil limits engine wear by minimizing friction and the resulting heat. Unfortunately, over time, engine Oil loses its protective properties. Whether synthetic or petroleum-based, Oil gradually takes on impurities such as metal shavings, chemicals, and water rendering the Oil useless over time. For most vehicles, standard engine oil lasts just three to six months. After this time, drivers must replace their engine Oil and engine Oil filters.
No Oil is safe for disposal in local waterways and even though Oil and Water don’t mix, oil can cause significant contamination that makes the municipal Water treatment process evermore complex. Oil can also seep into ground soils and contaminate groundwater if an Oil spill was to occur, so even when changing your own engine Oil, it’s important to take special precautions to avoid spills.
For do-it-yourselfers, the best way to dispose of your engine Oil is by placing it in a sealed, leak-proof, and heat-safe container and then dropping it off at a local disposal facility such as a city run disposal event or a municipal drop site which many larger cities have. Some service stations and repair shops also offer engine oil disposal, but these companies usually prefer residents use a third-party engine oil disposal service. After all, if you aren’t using their products or hiring their technicians, why would they want to collect the waste from your do-it-yourself projects.
Before you drain your oil pain or open up an Oil change shop, start looking for a nearby drop-off site or a company that will pick your waste up or one that you can drop your waste off at. By having a plan in place, you won’t have to store your used engine Oil on-site, and you won’t be tempted to get rid of it illegally and in a way that causes environmental harm. Improper disposal can harm insects and other wildlife species, destroy natural habitats, contaminate food and Water supplies, and much more, not to mention land the offender in prison.
When choosing a container for your used engine oil, you must choose one that is rated to hold engine oil. Old one-gallon and five-gallon water bottles aren’t sufficient. Not all plastic containers are made equally. Some plastics are made to rapidly degrade upon disposal. The best containers for oil engine oil are the containers that new engine oil comes in, Steel drums, or IBC Poly Totes. You should avoid using empty containers from other automotive fluids. Mixing chemicals, even when there are only small, residual amounts in empty bottles can cause reactions with one another.
Storing used engine Oil on your property is a spill hazard. Old engine Oil over time is known to get spilled on the floor/ground and can cause Oil contamination. Having old Oil in or around your home or shop is an unnecessary risk and ADCO is here to help businesses properly dispose of their unwanted used Motor Oil. Residents again can utilize a city run drop off event or even take their used Motor Oil into an Oil change shop where it will be recycled, or if they have an Oil burning furnace in their shop or garage, they can burn the used Oil in that in the winter months to heat their shop.
Changing your own engine oil is an easy way to save cash. With the right skills and tools, you only need to pay for replacement oil and filter, however, the most commonly overlooked part of this process is often the most costly and complex and that is determining how you’ll get rid of used engine oil. If you’re having a hard time finding a motor Oil disposal service or if you have questions about the environmental hazards engine Oil poses, and the rules of safe Oil disposal, please get in touch with ADCO Environmental Services, LLC today!
