Don't bring used oil to a store in a coolant jug....

[eljefino]

So much entitlement in this thread.

The workers at the parts stores deserve to have all the chemicals they may come in contact with properly labelled, so they can look up the MSDS and be informed.

Used oil is a carcinogen, and hazmat. I want anyone handling it to know. My town dump takes it for a waste oil heater, they "require" it to be in clear containers. I use milk jugs. I rinse the milk out so they don't smell funky and let them drip dry reasonably well. Even though they probably have water separators. Barring this requirement, an original motor oil container is the best best, with the best labelling.

If the store makes any money off used oil, good for them. They handle it as a convenience to the customer, even if legally required.

Be a polite citizen, the people who have to clean this stuff up aren't paid enough.

 

[chrlsful]

I once had an auto parts place reject my used oil because I brought it in in a couple of liquid laundry detergent jugs. They were concerned with soap or water contamination. I ended up transferring the oil into a few empty 2 liter soda bottles and brought it to a different store and they didn't say a word.

Reusing the original 5 quart jugs to take the oil to a recycling center is pretty easy but it was a PITA when I had almost 7 quarts from my Jaguar and the oil I used had come in 1 quart bottles. I need to accumulate a couple of empty 5 quart jugs to use just for storage and transportation of used oil.

dair ya go! Simple !

 

[dadto2]

You don't put crude oil into anything though. Just like there's extensive "refining" processes on that end, there's refining processes required on the recycling end too.

Yup. That's my point.

 

[incognito_2u]

Guess this method is out of the question.......

 

[SC Maintenance]

They handle it as a convenience to the customer, even if legally required.

There is no federal law requiring them to take it. Perhaps there are state laws. Its a profit center for them, as well as a customer service - aka - to get customers to come there. Same reason grocery stores sell milk at a loss and put it at the back. So they don't get paid if its contaminated - and they should be able to set whatever rules they want. But then its no longer much of a service is it?

The real point of accepting used auto fluids is so they don't end up in the storm drain or landfill. South Carolina has 550 state sponsored sites to drop off your used engine oil. Also tanks for coolant and cooking oil. Here its at the county recycling centers and you just pour it on in. They even have a bin for your empty container, and another bin for your filter.

Looks like all those EV funding "green" states without these facilities could come on down south and learn some things.

 

[chrlsful]

notice they take it 4 free.
We developed the veg-auto (car runs on soy oil, what Mr Diesel 1st used in his) and usta 'hit' all the local fri-a-lator tanks back of town's restaurants. They hada pay to have it carted away. Nice job (paid twice, once to haul, once when selling). We liberated it to run the cars...

Nother local I wrked for sold oil. He got an ol milk jug filling machine. I fiberglass up the inside ofa big plywood tank. He mixed oil, hada viscosity meter (threw a traling motor in as mixer, hada metal coil in the bottom to heat). One day was bar'n chain oil, nxt was 2stroke, etc.
Just like ur car battery,
U oudda get money for turnin in ur crankcase glop.

 

[Donald]

The transfer station near me has 3 large containers for taking used motor oil. And another for used oil filters. I bring my oil there. No cost, no sticker needed.

 

[Ronsant]

Sorry to revive an old thread. This came up in a search. I have been using a 5 Gal gas can for over 20 years. I got it for free because it had no spout. The store owner had already received credit form the distributor.

never had an issue. Now Advance says they can’t take it because there might be gas in it. Never been a drop of gas in this container.

My GF car takes 6 qts, my car takes 7. Add in OPE and motorcycles, and I have nowhere near enough 5 qt jugs to deal with this.
I don’t feel like it’s unnecessary complaining. Not all oil comes in 5 qt jugs.
I‘m going to try my local DPW and see if they will take it in my old gas jug.

 

[AutoMechanic]

I must be the only one who brings the drain pan to the store to dump it lol. I thought that was the norm. That’s what I’ve always seen people do but maybe that’s just in my area. Personally no store near me has ever had an issue mixing fluids. At least not to my knowledge. I’ve dumped all kinds of stuff with permission. Can’t say I’ve tried to get rid of coolant though.

 

[y_p_w]

Sorry to revive an old thread. This came up in a search. I have been using a 5 Gal gas can for over 20 years. I got it for free because it had no spout. The store owner had already received credit form the distributor.

never had an issue. Now Advance says they can’t take it because there might be gas in it. Never been a drop of gas in this container.

My GF car takes 6 qts, my car takes 7. Add in OPE and motorcycles, and I have nowhere near enough 5 qt jugs to deal with this.
I don’t feel like it’s unnecessary complaining. Not all oil comes in 5 qt jugs.
I‘m going to try my local DPW and see if they will take it in my old gas jug.

Most used motor oil has gasoline in it. Used motor oil typically smells like gasoline although it might not be measurable. I remember getting a few samples analyzed and the gasoline content was below their reporting threshold.

Long story I won't fully rehash here, but I remember a court case where part of the case involved how mechanics at a dealership might have taken motor oil from their reels home. The gist was that they were OK to work on their own cars after hours and use reasonable amounts of the oil while there, but a few people were taking it home (ostensibly for side jobs) in cleaned out coolant jugs.

 

[GSCJR]

Safety Kleen driver would take a sample before taking our waste oil, which I had to initial; coolant contamination was frowned upon.

 

[y_p_w]

I must be the only one who brings the drain pan to the store to dump it lol. I thought that was the norm. That’s what I’ve always seen people do but maybe that’s just in my area. Personally no store near me has ever had an issue mixing fluids. At least not to my knowledge. I’ve dumped all kinds of stuff with permission. Can’t say I’ve tried to get rid of coolant though.

I've always had problems with coolant. Inevitably I've taken it to my county residential hazardous waste collection services. They've had "events" in parking lots, but also a drop in collection site.

I've asked about it before, including calling a municipal utility that operated both water and sewage. Was told that I wasn't supposed to, but their sanitary sewage system could easily handle small quantities of nearly anything, including used vehicle coolant. I got kind of a vibe of "don't get caught" but I didn't end up pouring it down the drain. Obvious I wash my hands after I'm done and that releases all matter of motor oil, grime, and coolant.

I remember seeing something from Prestone recommending pouring used coolant down the drain in areas where it was allowed.

I have seen some weird stuff at a place that collects used oil. Gear oil, power steering fluid, or automatic transmission fluid should be fine since they're just random lubricating oils. An employee did try to talk me out of dumping ATF there, but I've seen used containers of that stuff there. I used to also drop off my old motor oil containers, but they got rid of their collection cans. When I asked about used containers and oil soaked paper towels at the hazardous waste collection place, a few times they took those, but more recently said they can't take them and it's fine to just toss them in the trash as they're technically not considered hazardous waste.

 

[billt460]

Sorry to revive an old thread. This came up in a search. I have been using a 5 Gal gas can for over 20 years. I got it for free because it had no spout. The store owner had already received credit form the distributor.

never had an issue. Now Advance says they can’t take it because there might be gas in it. Never been a drop of gas in this container.

My GF car takes 6 qts, my car takes 7. Add in OPE and motorcycles, and I have nowhere near enough 5 qt jugs to deal with this.
I don’t feel like it’s unnecessary complaining. Not all oil comes in 5 qt jugs.
I‘m going to try my local DPW and see if they will take it in my old gas jug.

They're being ridiculous. I don't understand why these stores pull this kind of nonsense. The whole concept of taking the time to drive your old oil over to an auto parts store for disposal, is supposed to make the entire procedure good for the overall environment.......

Then they go and pull this kind of silly crap. What are you supposed to do now, dump it in a vacant lot? That's almost what they're encouraging you to do by refusing to take it.

"It might have gas in it"..... If it came out of a Honda, it probably does. So what? All of this stuff goes through a rigorous re refining process, that removes most of these type of contaminants. Your engine does it with moisture and gasoline every time the oil reaches operating temperature for any length of time.

So I guess anyone who drives short trips, and lives in the Midwest in the Winter months, is out of luck, trying to get rid of their old oil.

 

[billt460]

I remember seeing something from Prestone recommending pouring used coolant down the drain in areas where it was allowed.

That's what I do with it. And I will continue to do it until someone provides at least somewhat of a convenient disposal method. The biggest danger out here in the desert, is as soon as birds and animals see anything liquid running in the gutter, they'll line up to drink it.

Dogs included. Ethylene glycol is very poisonous to animals and wildlife. You want to avoid getting it into the food chain. So down the toilet it goes.

If it was that bad, they would be scaring everyone with heavy fines for doing it. I'm sure that will be the case in another decade or so. As they find most everything to be dangerous to mankind in one way, shape, form, or another......

Much like California already has. Have they found anything that doesn't cause cancer in lab animals?

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

Got denied oil recycling cause I brought used engine oil in a coolant jug. They said ""NO"" oil that has been contacted with coolant.
What is the big deal if I got a few drops of coolant in this oil?, coolant and oil do not mix, so the oil will rise above the coolant in the holding tank....

..and I had to fill out a record sheet... the last person who recycled motor oil was a month ago(wonder what is happening to all this used oil?)

They're being ridiculous. I don't understand why these stores pull this kind of nonsense.

Because, Illinois. (? Pretty sure. I live in NJ.. I know how petty it can be.) It's all about liability...

FWIW, the way I now do used oil recycling is leave them at the front of the garage door of my shop like it is an Amazon delivery. I always have a used oil 5 gallon jug. I also keep an empty distilled water jug that I marked 3 markings for quarts on but that one is for mixing.

I no longer try to recycle used oil by putting it in the gas tank. I will admit I used to think that could work. Here is an example...

 

[billt460]

FWIW, the way I now do used oil recycling is leave them at the front of the garage door of my shop like it is an Amazon delivery.

That's not a bad idea if they're refusing to take uncontaminated motor oil because, there MIGHT be something in it. Just leave it in a disposable container behind Autozone..... Or wherever.

I'm willing to bet that is happening more and more frequently, as people get fed up with the nonsense they create, by making something that used to be effective and simple, more and more complicated, as well as difficult.

For years I used to walk right behind the counter with my 5 gallon jug, and dump it into their 500 gallon collection tank in the back. No one ever questioned me, because it was quite obvious what I was doing.

Now it's big deal. I have to wait in line. Give them my name and address. And they have me "registered" with them, along with the last time I brought in used oil, along with the amount.

I haven't been refused yet. But I'm sure that's coming, as they "improve" the collection method, by making it more and more difficult to comply with. They're fast becoming their own worst enemy.

 

[PandaBear]

Waste Management here requires the oil be placed in gallon milk jugs for curbside pickup. They'll take two per week. Got to put your address on it with a sharpie

Yup, mine won't even take used oil in 5 qt oil jug, must be milk gallon jug only.

 

[billt460]

Yup, mine won't even take used oil in 5 qt oil jug, must be milk gallon jug only.

That really reflects stupidity. Instead of placing the old oil in a sturdy container that was designed to hold motor oil in the first place, they would rather have it in flimsy, one gallon milk jugs that are much thinner, and were never designed to hold oil to begin with.

And as a result, are much more prone to leaking. Many of them don't even have a secure top, and can leak all over by simply falling on to their sides. You can't help but wonder who thinks up this crap?...... Let alone come away thinking that it's a good idea.

 

[John105]

Where I live in PA, and our neighboring state NJ, nobody wants used motor oil. There is no law compelling stores to take it, so it's a very unpleasant thing.

2 weeks ago my wife was saying why don't you try to drop it off at the Three Stooges in town (it's one of those converted gas station express ones who always says their tank is full), instead of driving all the way to the big one.

So I walk into the garage and ask, and the tech says yeah but you have to pour it out yourself. I said sure, can you tell me how and where to do it? He shows me where the tank is, and it's humongous. Why wouldn't it be? It's a service area with maybe 6 lifts. So I pour it out and bring back the 3 Pennzoil empties (same thing one car is 6.8 qts so I'll never be able to fit it in only 1 jug).

It's just despicable the way they turn people away most of the time. But I understand they don't want coolant to be mixed in.

 

[chrlsful]

toilet is nota a garbage disposal or contaminant receptacle, rd side dump as well. We're supposed to care for eachother'n the environment (if not, pay thru the nose elsewhere). If we dont we have the 'refuse to take ur stuff" @ the regular spots (some 1 snuck in antifreeze to the oil tank, etc). "Oh, I'll just cheat a lill." Natural gas escapes from those ancient pipes along the rd and kills the trees. Gas co. doesnt care it equals more use of gas for areas w/o the nice tree cover (temp moderation in the homes there). Corps all ways win, ppl only loose w/these things. But oil in the culvert makes it more difficult to get clean water. Taxes go up. In the house effluent = higher charges for the sewer system. "Throw it away": tell me? where is "away"?

Plez recycle it. When carried in, inspected: crankcase oil, atf, hydraulic, PS, etc, etc can go in that 1 dump tank. I would not put gasoline in there.
Another for antifreeze.
Now the recycle equip (or me who use the 1st for 'heating oil' in winter) can recycle MASSIVE amounts of the crap.
Never fear reviving an ol thread. Fear the admin who shuts dwn threads (early? at all?)