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There are many things you can do to help the environment, but one that a lot of people never think of is recycling their oil. In fact, most people do not bother to change their oil themselves. It is a simple process that anyone can do to save money. When you do change your oil, make sure not to let it run into a storm drain. This is the worst thing you could do with it. You also should not simply throw it away. Collect the oil and take it to a place that can recycle it. This guide will tell you everything you need to know about recycling your oil. Of course, if you want to pay someone else to change your oil, that is fine too. Just make sure you find oil change specials that take pride in recycling oil.
Why Recycle Oil
First things first, is oil recycling really all that important? It absolutely is. Oil is actually one of the most environmentally damaging materials humans produce. One gallon of oil can contaminate hundreds of thousands of gallons of water. Plus, it is deadly to plants and animals. If you dump your oil directly into the environment, something is going to suffer from it somewhere down the line.
Ignoring the environmental factor completely, oil has incredible uses when recycled. It can be used to heat homes, create electricity, and even be turned into new oil. Motor oil is especially useful when recycled, being able to create lubricating oil much more efficiently than crude oil. Needless to say, there many reasons to recycle your car’s oil.
Where To Recycle Oil
It is not hard to find somewhere that handles oil recycling. The easiest solution is to take it to an auto parts store or mechanic that offers recycling services. Most of these places will, but you should check online to be sure. Most places are proud to advertise that they recycle oil. Some traditional recycling plants also take oil, although most of these places focus on traditional recycling materials, such as paper, plastic, and aluminum.
How To Recycle Oil
It is not hard to take your oil to a place where it can be recycled, but here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Be careful of spills – Use a drip pan to make sure no drops of oil spill onto the concrete where they might be washed into a storm drain. Some drip pans have a spout to help transfer it to a container.
- Use the right container – Oil can eat through some materials over time. You need to use PE (polyethylene) plastic. Using milk cartons is a mistake many people make.
- Keep the oil pure – The oil cannot be recycled if it is mixed with other fluid, such as brake fluid.
- Bring the oil filter too – The oil filter can also be recycled.
- Dispose of properly – If you cannot recycle for some reason, take it to a hazardous material disposal center instead.
It may seem like a hassle to recycle your oil, but it makes a huge difference.
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