Adventures in Oil Recycling/Disposal

[Patman]

Back in the early days of my oil changing (the late 80s) I used to walk over to my high school (lived right beside it) and pour the oil in the underground tank beside the auto shop that they used to save their used oil. I am not sure what happened to it from there, whether it was recycled or if the school used it for something.

But soon after that our city opened up a recycling center at their landfill site, and you can drop off as much household hazardous waste as you want (this includes antifreeze and oil filters too) and it costs nothing. At first it was a bit of a pain as they made you dump the oil into the bins yourself and then take the empty jugs to another section, but now you can just put the jugs of oil onto a shelf and they deal with it.

 

[Ken2]

Quote:
I'd read that most of it gets used as bunker fuel for ships.

Cutter stock is blended with the heavy fuel oil to get the fuel to the correct viscosity and specific gravity. Motor oil is used, but isn't the best. #2 diesel works great, and contaminated diesel fuel is often used when available. Waste oil can be mixed with other types of industrial fuel oil including the fuel to heat asphalt plants and other furnaces.

Quote:
My county recycling office TOLD me to mix brake fluid with old motor oil.
Truly bad advice. No one do this.

Quote:
Some people use used oil as fuel in diesel. Always wondered if that was safe.
Sure, within limits. 1% will be no problem. Didn't some engine maker (Cummins?) have a system that very slowly put some old oil into the fuel and added new oil? Their half-million mile oil change system.

 

[ThirdeYe]

I used to take everything to Wal-Mart since they're the only place around here that was supposed to recycle oil filters (according to that Earth911 site) but every time I go there they love to tell me that they won't accept my filters. I've since found a more convenient location to dispose of my used oil without even dealing with anyone. It's a local gas station that just has a receptacle in the back that you can dump your used oil in, no limit. I cut open my oil filters and dispose of them per the EPA regulations.

 

[John_K]

From recycling Web site:

"However, EPA does not consider used brake fluid to be a hazardous waste when it is combined with used oil and recycled or burned as fuel, even if it has hazardous characteristics. Instead the recycled used brake fluid should be treated as used oil and managed under the used oil regulations."

John

 

[Jim 5]

The Honda dealership where I bought my wife's van uses waste oil to heat their shop through the winter. I found that out on a waste oil furnace website.

I phoned the manager of the dealership a while ago and he would barely admit to heating with waste oil (afraid of eco-fanatics I presume), and when asked whether he would take the waste oil from the Honda I bought from them he outright refused.

I thought that was a little shortsighted from a number of perspectives.

 

[Jim 5]

Originally Posted By: Ken2


Quote:
Some people use used oil as fuel in diesel. Always wondered if that was safe.
Sure, within limits. 1% will be no problem. Didn't some engine maker (Cummins?) have a system that very slowly put some old oil into the fuel and added new oil? Their half-million mile oil change system.



If you have a 2007 or newer diesel (equipped with a diesel particulate filter) I wouldn't try it. I'd be a little worried about injectors too. Fuel filtration would also be an issue. The fuel filter on my duramax costs $60 locally and I personally wouldn't want to shorten it's life.

Many people with old cummins and powerstrokes are doing this though. I'd probably do it with an older diesel.

 

[ridgerunner]

Originally Posted By: Jim 5
The Honda dealership where I bought my wife's van uses waste oil to heat their shop through the winter. I found that out on a waste oil furnace website.

I phoned the manager of the dealership a while ago and he would barely admit to heating with waste oil (afraid of eco-fanatics I presume), and when asked whether he would take the waste oil from the Honda I bought from them he outright refused.

I thought that was a little shortsighted from a number of perspectives.



I would love to see schematics on how to convert an old wood stove into an oil burner so I could heat my garage w/ it! If anyone has such a design, please post here! Feel free to put your disclaimer on it.

 

[Kestas]

Originally Posted By: Ken2
Quote:
My county recycling office TOLD me to mix brake fluid with old motor oil.
Truly bad advice. No one do this.

It depends on how the oil will be used. If it's rerefined, then brake fluid and other volatiles are a no-no. If it's being used as industrial or bunker fuel, then it's okay. This varies from one recycler to the next. That's why it's good to inquire first before mixing.

 

[BrianWC]

Originally Posted By: ridgerunner
Originally Posted By: Jim 5
The Honda dealership where I bought my wife's van uses waste oil to heat their shop through the winter. I found that out on a waste oil furnace website.

I phoned the manager of the dealership a while ago and he would barely admit to heating with waste oil (afraid of eco-fanatics I presume), and when asked whether he would take the waste oil from the Honda I bought from them he outright refused.

I thought that was a little shortsighted from a number of perspectives.



I would love to see schematics on how to convert an old wood stove into an oil burner so I could heat my garage w/ it! If anyone has such a design, please post here! Feel free to put your disclaimer on it.


Mother Earth News published a link to one a long time ago.

http://www.journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library/ethanol_motherearth/me4.html

 

[ridgerunner]

GREAT INFO, THANKS!

 

[oily boyd]

Too bad you don't live near me.

The best mechanic in town heats his garage in winter with used motor oil... he'd probably send his truck to pick up 34 gallons!

 

[Bryanccfshr]

WE use Safety Kleen at work to pick up our used oil (not just automotive but oil form reciprocating compressors). WE get paid by the quality and the volume of used oil. I bring my used oil to work and contribute to the cause. (our reserve tank is 50bbl)

 

[wannafbody]

Mobil 1 5 quarts jugs are great because of the wide mouth which makes pouring used oil into them easy. You can get them for $22 at WM or $12 after rebate (if you ever get the rebate).

 

[sciphi]

It gets dumped at AutoZone or Advance up the street at every oil change. The filters get tossed into the trash since no place around me takes the filters, and I'm not about to drive 20 miles to dispose of a filter. I hate it about the filters, but nobody does anything with them.

 

[Rabbler]

And I thought I was bad...
I've only got about 15 gallons of used oil laying around.
Time to unload it behind Canadian Tire one night and drive away with the headlights off...

Actually they accept it no problem and usually have a sign by one of the back doors. Always a pile of gallon jugs back there.

I've heard many provinces/states are trying to ban waste oil furnaces because of the high emissions.

 

[NortheastPest]

I dump mine at work. I work in a steel processing plant and we dump 1000's of gallons of metalworking fluid and oil from compressors and forklifts every year. I asked the guy who owns the truck that picks up the used oil what they do with it. He said #4 heating oil is made. He said its not heating oil for residential use but rather for large factories and industrial plants. By the way...waste oil furnaces are EPA approved. Many shops around here use them in the winter. The newer ones are amazing. No smell at all. You wouldnt even know a shop had a newer waste oil heater unless someone told you. For a typical shop, they recoup their money in a couple of years in the Northeast. A lot faster further up North because of the brutal winters.

 

[AdRock]

I take my old oil containers and leave them in front of the shop door at any one of the local quick lube places aftere they're closed. If they aren't there then they can't refuse to take it.

 

[rshunter]

Originally Posted By: Ken2
Quote:
Some people use used oil as fuel in diesel. Always wondered if that was safe.
Sure, within limits. 1% will be no problem. Didn't some engine maker (Cummins?) have a system that very slowly put some old oil into the fuel and added new oil? Their half-million mile oil change system.

Yeah, it's called the CENTINEL Advanced Engine Oil Management System. I had it on a couple of ISX engines I once ran.

 

[ADFD1]

Originally Posted By: AdRockI take my old oil containers and leave them in front of the shop door at any one of the local quick lube places aftere they're closed. If they aren't there then they can't refuse to take it.

Mine goes behind the local auto parts store, or by Les Schwab after hours. Not worth the dirty looks given by the guy that has to pour it into the recycle tank. They know they must take the stuff, so they should just do the job without the dirty looks or comments. Me I take the easy way out, no conflicts that way.

When I lived on Long Island one of the local guys heated his place with the stuff, he wanted me to bring him the old oil.

AD
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[e40]

The City of Madison (Wisconsin) has 4 or so waste oil dropoff sites. It's a big rectangular shaped tank, probably holds 1500 gallons or so. There is a big heavy door on top of it with a steel grate - I usually prop the door open, then I can set 4 to 5 gallon jugs upside down and let them all drain. There are cans for disposing the dirty jugs, and another can for filters. I've never seen them empty the cans or the tank, so who knows what they do with it all..

Here is a Google Street View of one of them:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s...297.21,,0,12.26