Originally Posted By: raytseng
Originally Posted By: y_p_w
Anyone know if it's possible to recycle the bottles if I don't use them to store used oil? I thought it might be possible to wash out the bottles and dump them in the used chemical bottles at that recycling center.
Typically no. You need to check with your specific recycling program. Motor oil is so bad, that a little bit of residual oil ruins the whole batch of plastic or messes up the recycling process. So your good intentions actually could lead to more waste.
Definitely do not try to wash them with water, as then you are just making a mess for your water treatment plant.
I did search the internet and some group was that had a technology to process motor oil-contaminated bottles for recycling, but I don't think it is mainstream.
So this of the reasons to prefer the 5.1 quart jugs is to do your part to reduce waste. (Although it can be said extending your OCI and fully using your oil too).
My recycling program instructed me to just throw out the containers in the garbage, just as they allow me to throw out my shop towels and absorbant that has oil in it too.
What I do to be a good citizen is set the bottles upside down for at least half a day, to get as much of the oil I can out, before tossing it. I just set a bottle in a funnel over one designated collector bottle. This goes for A/T fluid + whatever other petroleum fluid bottles I have that can be safely accepted for recycling. Once in awhile I dump the collector bottle into my drain pan during an oil change to get collected, even if it's basically fresh.
I am fully aware that quick change places, shops, and people needing an emergency quart at a gas stations, will just toss the bottles that probably have half an ounce of oil left in them, but I do my part.
I'm wondering how much oil gets into our sanitary sewers. I've washed oil soaked T-shirts and of course wash my hands after wiping them off. And then there are shop rag services.
My soaked paper towels used to go into the used container cans at this place, but they remodeled and no longer had anything for used containers or oily paper towels. I noted that my county household hazardous waste facility will take nearly anything that doesn't glow from radiation. I might just end up saving the bottles for that.
