How do you dispose of used coolant?

[PF52]

I read an article once where they recommended pouring it into a bucket and placing the bucket somewhere where the coolant would evaporate. Obviously written by someone who knows nothing about coolant.... A bucket of rocks would probably evaporate faster!

 

[dumkid]

Coolant will evaporate (atleast the water in it will) it takes like a full day for a small puddle to disappear. And I think some of that coolant soaks into the cement

 

[Kruse]

Coolant made in the last decade + has a bitterant added. Nothing is going to drink it these days. Granted, there is probably some older, non-bittered stuff around, but the chances are good that it is of the new variety.
Don't believe me, get some in your mouth one time.........
Mistake I'll never make again.

So they say.....
A couple of years ago, I was actually giving a used car to my nephew. It was a non-running vehicle that needed to be trailered. I kept it in an enclosed shed and I told him several times to CALL BEFORE YOU ARRIVE. There was a pan of 50/ 50 antifreeze inside the locked vehicle. He opened my shed, found the car keys, set the pan down on the concrete floor and winched the vehicle up on his trailer...without ever giving me a call. (Anyone see where this is going? ) Two of my dogs, a border collie and a yellow lab drank the stuff. When I got home from work, my car was gone, the pan of antifreeze was setting on the concrete floor and my dogs were lethargic, to say the least. I quickly rushed them to the vet, but nothing helped. They were kept overnight, but the next day I paid the vet, took the dog bodies home and dug two holes on my property. I never did tell my nephew what he did.
Back on subject: OP, I work in a small town where everybody knows everybody. I talked to a city employee about them being able to handle antifreeze in their waste water system. They told me to just flush it down the sewer and all would be well because the treatment plant could handle it. Of course, you better make sure that your city is able to handle it before dumping it.

 

[THORROMIG]

Cant you call your local autoparts store/stores and see if they will accept it?

 

[JohnnyG]

We have a septic lagoon so the drain probably isn’t an option for me.

No, that won't work. It has to go to treatment for aeration and bacterial digestion.

 

[SaberOne]

I no longer do service on my vehicle to do medical. I will note the times I’ve taken other toxic materials to an auto parts store, I observed the worker tossing the batteries in a trashcan. Seems like it’s a bit of it uphill battle.

 

[dumkid]

My dog will taste the coolant and leave it alone after one taste. Stupid dog will try and drink it as it comes out of the car because he doesn't recognize the smell or something

 

[John105]

My dog will taste the coolant and leave it alone after one taste. Stupid dog will try and drink it as it comes out of the car because he doesn't recognize the smell or something

That’s dangerous, I’ve always heard pets are attracted to the sweet smell or taste…

 

[dumkid]

That’s dangerous, I’ve always heard pets are attracted to the sweet smell or taste…

I know it's dangerous. At least he doesn't like the flavor, as soon as he gets some in his mouth he leaves (or tries to get inside the car and leave muddy footprints on everything)

 

[SHOZ]

I read an article once where they recommended pouring it into a bucket and placing the bucket somewhere where the coolant would evaporate. Obviously written by someone who knows nothing about coolant.... A bucket of rocks would probably evaporate faster!

Actually If I had a small quantity, less than a gallon, I would just pour it on the flat gravel/tar driveway and it would be gone in a day or two in the summer. I now use it to mix borax with for a wood preservative/termite treatment. Good for swelling wood handles.

 

[weaponoffreedom]

I live out in the boonies and there’s no real recycling program available. How do you dispose of your old coolant where you live? Do auto parts stores accept it like they do for used oil?

Propalene Glycol I think is the non toxic kind. Or maybe ethylene glycol.........anyway, there is one that is not toxic, unlike standard coolant

 

[walterjay]

Propylene glycol is the non toxic one. Used in foods and medicine.

Our county has several sites set up where you can dump coolant and oil into large drums.

 

[Hall]

We have a county "tox away day" twice a year; they take pretty much anything but explosives or dead bodies. Tires, all manner of old paint and chemicals, TVs, old meds, etc; they take it all.

Our county "incinerator" accepts things like oil, coolant, paint, etc year-round from county residents. They also do the kind of thing you refer to but it's for larger items like refrigerators, etc. As long as you don't pull in with a trailer overflowing with stuff (they have reason to believe you're a "business" if you have too much), it's free or very low cost. I took an old fridge recently and they charge $4.95 because of the freon.

 

[JHZR2]

We have a town collection point so I drop oil and coolant there. It doesn’t say to leave filters, and there’s no facility to take them. So any filter with a can, I cut open and recycle the metal parts/throw away the media.

 

[cptbarkey]

Interesting logistical question. Do you boil crawfish regularly, or can jars? If so, boil it? With a vent hood on full blast of course.

 

[Elkins45]

Turns out the place I take my garbage also accepts it. I just had to ask.

 

[Warstud]

In NYC you can flush coolant down the toilet but you can't dump it in the Storm Sewer.

Whatever gets poured down the Storm Drain goes into the Rivers and Lakes .

 

[SHOZ]

Good contact weed killer. Good non-ionic surfactant for weed spray mixes.....

 

[The motor guy]

We have a collection tank at the local waste center. However, it’s possible they are taking it to the municipal water treatment plant just a few miles away. Basically the rural folks need a place to get the fluid into the municipal treatment facility and this is it, short of pouring it into the toilet at the truck stop.

Just have your wife put it in her purse on the way to the truck stop bathroom

 

[The motor guy]

It gets flushed here too.

I've heard to flush in between jugs so it spreads i out and it's not one big slug on its way to the treatment plant.