How easy/hard is it to return used motor oil?

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The entitlement in this thread is breathtaking.

If they say the tank is full, it probably really is full.

Barring a legal requirement that they have to take it back, they don't.

I would use one's municipality as their first choice.
 
Related question. Does anyone know of any place that takes just empty oil bottles that don't have any oil in them (such as from topping off)? I'm going to have a severe oil burner soon so will be accumulating a lot of empty bottles. I know a lot of people re-use the bottles for used oil, but I don't do my own oil changes so I won't need them for that

When I had some used motor oil and disposed it at my county's transfer station, they just said, once you dump the used oil it in the recycling tank, just throw the bottles in the regular trash tipping station. Aside from seeking some place more convenient, that doesn't really seem good. I haven't tried yet, but I figure most auto parts stores, etc, may not take empty bottles without some used oil in them, but does anyone have any experience?

For used oil, it may depend on your specific regional club, but in the past AAA-branded car care centers would take used oil from AAA members (these are the big AAA-branded and operated repair shops that are often co-located with an AAA travel office, not a local mechanic that just has "AAA approved/recommended" status). I haven't checked yet it they will take just empty oil bottles
 
In NY State, any establishment that sells Oil (motor, refrigerant, hydraulic, etc) MUST accept used oil (up to 5 gallons per person, per day). If their tanks are temporarily “full”, they must make arrangements to empty their tanks and personally make arrangements with the DIYer and inform them when they could return.

That being said, I personally have never had an issue returning used oil to my local AAP.
In fact, I usually dump it in the tank myself, dispose of container and wash up in the emplo bathroom. Easy-peasy!
 
There was an Advanced Auto Parts in the Clintonville neighborhood in Columbus, OH that had a perpetual sign on the door "oil tank full".
When you went in the store to buy anything, the employees would hide and hope you walked out. The store was such a failure, they closed it and it is now this:


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In my area, I always go to Autozone they let me dump it the tank or they just grab the jug with used oil and all done I leave lol

In recent weeks I have seen a few white papers signs on store front door saying "Oil tank full" at other auto parts locations but not often

If my mechanic does it for me when I have no time to do OCI myself then he dumps it out at his job where they have a HUGE used fluid tank and it accepts ALL fluids
 
If my mechanic does it for me when I have no time to do OCI myself then he dumps it out at his job where they have a HUGE used fluid tank and it accepts ALL fluids
By chance do you know what they do with the old fluid ? If a company like Safety-Kleen recovers it, they won't accept it or they'll take and charge a hazmat disposal fee. Do they sell it to folks who use it for heating oil ? Can you use fluid with coolant, brake fluid, etc for heating oil (safely) ?
 
Montgomery County, MD waste transfer station will take up to 5 gallons per person per day. Drive up and empty it into one of two tanks. No charge, no problems, (almost) never any questions asked. They have another tank for antifreeze and one for cooking oil too. It's pretty easy and never a hassle.
 
By chance do you know what they do with the old fluid ? If a company like Safety-Kleen recovers it, they won't accept it or they'll take and charge a hazmat disposal fee. Do they sell it to folks who use it for heating oil ? Can you use fluid with coolant, brake fluid, etc for heating oil (safely) ?
Contaminants can be removed, to an extent, by re-refining the used oil. I think it ends up as bunker fuel or heating fuel in industrial applications most of the time. I could be mistaken though.
 
Montgomery County, MD waste transfer station will take up to 5 gallons per person per day. Drive up and empty it into one of two tanks. No charge, no problems, (almost) never any questions asked. They have another tank for antifreeze and one for cooking oil too. It's pretty easy and never a hassle.
Was there this afternoon to drop off 4 or 5 oil and transmission fluid changes worth. At least our tax dollars are doing something. Just don't drop off more than 5 tires a year.
 
AutoZone, O'Riley & Walmart take used oil, I'm not sure about how much they will take at once, where I live I think the limit at Walmart is 5qts not sure about the other two.
 
When I lived in NYS, through 1999, it was simple, because it was the law.

But here in Phila. metro?

I work in NJ so one day I decided I'll just return it after work. Place after place rejected me.

Maybe this is a loophole: "My tank is full, I can't take it." Meanwhile people are pulling in for oil changes.

That day I went to a random garage in PA--the guy wasn't all that happy but took it. Other places in PA say the same thing, "Tank is full."

It's really a shame imho--2 of our cars take 5 quarts, one 6.8. That's not a lot of oil to refuse. Recycling is as basic as being responsible imho. A homeowner DIY has no other means and I think people who sell it should take it back for disposal.

:D

Same thing happens here, last time I went to four different places and they all said the tank was full. Very annoying. So now I just drop it off outside the bay doors later in the evening after they close.
 
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