Antifreeze recycling

[VWRand]

I have been finding it impossible to find anyone who will take a few gallons of used antifreeze locally.

I have looked at recycling websites and while some list places, when I call them they tell me they don't take it and don't know how they got on the list. All I have been able to do is wait for an annual county hazardous household waste event which don't come very often.

 

[Owen Lucas]

It is hard to find anyone who takes it. Almost like they want you to pour it down the drain or throw it in the garbage, what do you think all of those backyard mechanics do? Both bad ideas. Thankfully I haven’t had to change coolant in years. Maybe an auto parts store?

 

[c502cid]

Try a local machine shop with CNC mills. My neighbor has different drums for different fluids and will take my coolant, but it has to be coolant with nothing mixed in, so an old oil container filled with coolant is a no-go.

 

[Hyundai Respecter]

I saw a sign hanging on the wall at my local Firestone auto center that said they took used oil and I asked them if they took used coolant too. And he said yes, just label the bottle it’s used coolant. We’ll see if that’s true when I do a radiator drain and fill later this year.

Otherwise.. I don’t know where to drop it off either. My small town used to have a hazardous waste day once or twice a year but now it’s in another town and only once a year.

 

[brianl703]

It is hard to find anyone who takes it. Almost like they want you to pour it down the drain or throw it in the garbage, what do you think all of those backyard mechanics do? Both bad ideas. Thankfully I haven’t had to change coolant in years. Maybe an auto parts store?

The bacteria that live at the sewage treatment plant find ethylene glycol very nutritious, so some places recommend pouring it down the drain.

 

[RooflessVW]

The bacteria that live at the sewage treatment plant find ethylene glycol very nutritious, so some places recommend pouring it down the drain.

My town says down the drain, so down the drain it goes.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Most jurisdictions are OK with antifreeze going into the sanitary sewer, not the storm sewer.

 

[Snagglefoot]

It is hard to find anyone who takes it. Almost like they want you to pour it down the drain or throw it in the garbage, what do you think all of those backyard mechanics do? Both bad ideas. Thankfully I haven’t had to change coolant in years. Maybe an auto parts store?

Both bad ideas? Nope. It goes down the sanitary sewer. ( not the storm sewer). Flush it down the toilet. It is not banned.

 

[RooflessVW]

Most jurisdictions are OK with antifreeze going into the sanitary sewer, not the storm sewer.

That is an important distinction to make. Don't want to give the local waterways the ol' DuPont shimmer!

 

[Lubener]

My city's service dept. garage accepts used motor oil and antifreeze. You might want to check your city. Years ago before they accepted antifreeze, they told me to dump it down my sanitaries.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

What do you do if you're on septic? It goes down the drain for me but we're going to be moving somewhere with septic

 

[kschachn]

What do you do if you're on septic? It goes down the drain for me but we're going to be moving somewhere with septic

No, never into a private septic system. As noted also not into the relatively untreated storm system either, just into a municipal sewer system.

 

[mk378]

relatively untreated storm system

Storm sewers are completely untreated. They flow directly to natural waterways.

 

[MasterSolenoid]

VWRand, thanks for being responsible, we all need to make that effort.
When I was growing up, my Father had us dump the used oil in the fields behind the house.

I have taken 'used' Coolant to Pep Boys, along with Brake Fluid.

I like the idea of sanitary sewer, but call first.

If your on good terms with an indy mechanic, ask him.

For getting rid of latex/oil paint, it is recommended to mix with kitty litter and it will dry, then throw out with garbage.

 

[billt460]

The bacteria that live at the sewage treatment plant find ethylene glycol very nutritious, so some places recommend pouring it down the drain.

My town says down the drain, so down the drain it goes.

That's where I've been putting mine for the last 50+ years. Afterward the sewer also gets 4 or 5 flushes with tap water run through the cooling system until it drains clear.

Then in goes the fresh antifreeze with distilled water. I've had the same radiator in my truck since 1998, and the heater core is original. (1991). So I must be doing something right.

 

[Owen Lucas]

Read a story where a guy with a VW bug would complete his oil changed by parking over a storm sewer and draining the oil right into it. Not good but he as to have been good holding onto the drain plug!

 

[Urshurak776]

Ironically, just ran into this yesterday. Did a drain and fill of the coolant system in our Kia Rio. Had just over three quarts to dispose of. After 126,000 miles, it actually didn't look bad at all. Called around to a few auto parts stores and nope, they don't take it. NAPA told me to pour it in the toilet and flush it. Looked online to see if you could do that in the county I lived in, didn't see anything. Finally, just stuck it on a garage shelf in a milk jug.

Not sure what to do.

Update: Just called my countys Dept of waste management and they said it can be taken to York countys facility. Looked that up and they only take RESIDENT waste. So...yeah, getting bad advice from my own county.

Thinking it's going down the toilet......

 

[Chris Meutsch]

I have been finding it impossible to find anyone who will take a few gallons of used antifreeze locally.

I have looked at recycling websites and while some list places, when I call them they tell me they don't take it and don't know how they got on the list. All I have been able to do is wait for an annual county hazardous household waste event which don't come very often.

Down the toilet. That's where mine go.

 

[Chris Meutsch]

Storm sewers are completely untreated. They flow directly to natural waterways.

Never throw ANYTHING down a storm drain, people.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Ethylene glycol is a poison ( don’t drink it) but is not a hazardous waste. We have “coolant” recycling in our rural area with thousands of septic fields. They have a 500 gallon tank at the “recycling” facility. A septic truck loads it up and takes it to the sewer plant 2 miles away and unloads there.

Ask a buddy on the main sewer system if you can dump down one of his toilets.