I cut open all my oil filters, so I do wipe off the can, leaf spring and base plate, and remove the base gasket and put that metal in the recycle. It's all metal. Can take the oil soaked media portion to the auto parts store that accepts used oil filters. If done right, those stores that take used oil filters have them sent to a proper recycling facility that handles used oil filters.
There is always an exception...what % of people who change their own oil separate the materials vs feel good about putting the entire container in the recycle bin...would you guess?
Very true. Mine says throw them in the trash so I don't feel I'm doing anything wrong. I'm not a sandal-wearing, ponytailed hippie but we recycle more stuff than we put in the trash, I don't dump used oil in my yard, etc, etc either.
When a milk jug with the cap still on it goes through their system, it gets rejected and goes to a landfill. They sure don't have people unscrewing and separating them !
Yes, there are a lot of people who don't know how to recycle, and even a lot more that are just plain irresponsible, and don't even care. Could you just imagine what it would look like if nobody threw their trash out the window (or trashed the oceans with litter), instead of waiting to get home or some place and disposed of their trash responsibly. People are basically pigs for the most part.
Uhhh, ew.My stepdad, brother throw them into trash
This posting is hilarious. I actually talked to OFR folks. They take the used filters back to a plant. Filters that aren’t crushed are cut apart; rubber, plastic core of filter has one are separated and metal spring etc are separated and sorted out. Media gets squeezed/crushed to get much fluid out as possible. Then the metals are pressed into square cubes shoved in kiln to burn off excess oil, fluids. All trash in the truckload is sorted and or recycled and thrown away. That’s what really happens. The cubes of steel are then sold to mini mills or…..
What’s really sad is posters here WILL STILL THROW THE CUT APART FILTER IN TRASH!
My guess was s 4% people actually do the right thing after DIY’ng their own oil change.
Come on now. You're saying that it is economically profitable to go through that effort to separate and process ounces of oil impregnated metal...one at a time?
I'm good thanks, how does my used filter that I drop into my recycle bin find its way to them? That would mean that my local city employees pick the filters out by hand and put them into a bin that goes to the element separating wizards?
That's why people need to take them to a place that takes them (auto parts store, local hazmat place, etc) so they make it to the right recycler. Not just throw them in the garbage.
I throw oil filters and household batteries in the trash. Antifreeze you got me. It spilled on our stone driveway the only time I tried to replace a radiator. Since that incident I’ve paid to get drain and fills on coolant. Nobody wants it.
