Antifreeze recycling

[hank2]

I gave up on attempting to get businesses that are on the local recycling list to take used coolant. I'm on an onsite septic tank. A local Subaru dealer that profiles as very green refuses to take it even though they signed on. They also have to be very persuaded to take drain motor oil and then it's an hour wait with containers leaving with you. There were a lot of auto repair and other shops that had waste oil burner heating units at one time. I've heard that the charge that garages pay for coolant collection is pretty steep. AFAIK, coolant has always been considered a hazardous waste here.

My county has a hazardous fluid drive through collection weekend once a year. Things like coolant, drain oil, brake fluid, non latex paint, etc. It's not at all well publicized. You have to register in advance online and make a 15 min. window appointment. Nothing anonymous. It's about 20 miles from me, but it works for me.

 

[kschachn]

Has nothing to do with cancer. Public sanitary sewer is usually the preferred disposal route for ethylene and propylene glycols in low volumes. Even ethylene glycol although initially toxic to many microbes, quickly (days) breaks down into a food source for them. Not appropriate for septic as the initial micobial toxicity may be an issue for such relatively high concentrations -even if transitory.

It will also break down quickly in sunlight. Soil too but somewhat slower.

 

[willbur]

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.

Jiffy Lube around here takes it. Maybe around you, too?

 

[willbur]

It will also break down quickly in sunlight. Soil too but somewhat slower.

Correct. Soil bacteria will gobble it up too. Bioremediation in action. Don't know if used coolant contains heavy metals leaching out of coolant system. That stuff doesn't break down

 

[billt460]

From what I have been able to acertain, elethylene glycol is not the Boogeyman it has been made out to be. The biggest risk is it being consumed by dogs, cats, birds, and assorted other animals.

 

[stangguy]

Same here. I must have gallon jugs of used coolant dating back to 2009. Go down to a hazards waste pickup event and ask them if they take coolant and watch their eyeballs roll around in their head and then cage. Seems to strike sheer horror just at the mention of the product. I have it in my will that I want cremation so being buried with it is out. Where do the car repair/service outfits dispose of the stuff?

As others have said, dump it down the sewer. I called the city and that is what they said.

 

[kschachn]

From what I have been able to acertain, elethylene glycol is not the Boogeyman it has been made out to be. The biggest risk is it being consumed by dogs, cats, birds, and assorted other animals.

Well yes and no. As you note if animals (including us) drink it then they generally die due to the toxic metabolites. But it does break down in the environment fairly quickly and metropolitan sewage systems have no issues with it due to the different metabolic pathway for bacteria.

 

[VWRand]

I was able to take it to a household hazardous waste center an hour away.