Oil filter recycling?

[spinfire]

My WIX/NAPA filters from Fleet filter just arrived... I am very pleased

They have a recycling symbol on the side. But, in the past I have tried to return my used oil filters along with used oil to Pep Boys and they have refused it. Does anyone here recycle their oil filters, and if so, where do you take them?

Thanks

 

[tom slick]

this is not much help but we have a curbside recycling program, they pick up oil and filter on trash day for "free".

otherwise we can take them to the haz waste collection center at the landfill.

 

[Wrehch]

I crush mine in a oil filter crusher at my shop and sell them to the local scrap yard as scrap metal.

 

[Blue99]

Part of my oil change routine is to jam a nail under the anti-drain back rubber valve & tip it over in an old tupperware container to fully drain the filter.

I would guess that the biggest problem with DIY'er oil changers is that a used filter gets dumped into the garbage & hauled to the landfill with several ounces of non re-cycled oil.

 

[Black_Thunder]

what i was doing when i had time was I would cut the filter open sometimes to examine the inside, then i would burn the element itself and dispose of the metal to be recycle, i figure thats better then just chucking the whole filter into the trash

 

[sifan]

In the Montgomery County of Maryland the government has a weekly recycling collection program in place. However, the collector always refuses to take away the oil bottles or any motor oil related containers.

 

[JHZR2]

Delaware has filter collection facilities next to the community oil collection tank.

Then again, I think the guy that invented the oil filter separation machine that facilitates recycling is from DE.

Its nice that they take them... otherwise they end up in the trash, wasting metal and leaching waste oil.

JMH

 

[Kestas]

It's the oil retained in the filter that's a problem. If all the oil can be drained from the filter, it's good to go into the trash. This is hard to do with ADBVs so popular.

My hat's off the Black Thunder. It's a pain, but his recycling method is the most earth-friendly.

 

[Chris Meutsch]

Put it in a vice, squeeze a bit to distort the can, and pour out the oil.

 

[ziggy]

At my oil changes, i alwasy hack my filters open, with a small hand sized hacksaw. Then i seperate the fitler media, via a screwdriver, unravel it, and chuck it. Then wash it off, EVERYTHING metal, and once a year, throw it in my local dumps recycling dumpster for metal only objects OUtside of that, no one else wnat them, not the city recycling or scrap yards.

 

[brianl703]

Quote:

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Part of my oil change routine is to jam a nail under the anti-drain back rubber valve & tip it over in an old tupperware container to fully drain the filter.

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I take a screwdriver and a hammer and punch a hole in the end of the filter element inside. Usaually I knock the whole filter element loose doing that, which makes for a very quick drain of the filter.

 

[JakeR22]

I work that those household hazardous waste collections site, we'll take the filters, but they go in the dumpster with the normal trash.

Just get as much oil out as possible, and throw them in the trash. I usually wrap a plastic bag around them.

 

[unDummy]

For a list of filter management companies that serve your area for used oil filters, call the Used Filter Recycling Hotline at 1-800-993-4583.

 

[benjamming]

Quote:

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For a list of filter management companies that serve your area for used oil filters, call the Used Filter Recycling Hotline at 1-800-993-4583.

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or Filter Council website

Alabama follows the federal guidelines for used oil filters. Non-terne plated used oil filters are exempt
from hazardous waste regulation if the used oil filter is: a) punctured through its dome end or its
anti-drain back valve and hot-drained; or b) hot-drained and crushed; or c) dismantled and hot-drained;
or d) hot-drained using an equivalent method to remove used oil. Terne is an alloy of lead and tin that was used in some heavy duty filters in the past. Hot-draining is defined as draining the oil filter at near engine operating temperature and above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. It is recommended that used oil filters be hot-drained for 12 hours and drained until there is no free-flowing used oil. The Alabama Department of Environmental Management Strongly recommends that filters be recycled rather than landfilled.

When I looked at the list of companies for Alabama, I found Aaron Oil Company based in Mobile:
Recycles: No
Product produced from used oil filters: Recycle of reclaimed oil; do not produce from metal.

 

[mshu7]

Speaking of recycle, where does everybody take their used coolant, power steering fluid, trans fluid, etc.?

 

[brianl703]

Power steering and transmission fluid can be recycled like used oil, and in fact my mechanic just disposes of power steering and transmission fluid in his used-oil container.

Dunno about coolant..need to ask my mechanic what he does with that..

 

[mshu7]

Thanks for the quick response brian. I look forward to hearing about the coolant recycling.

I have a bunch of containers on my shelves with all kinds of used fluids so I'm dying to get rid of them.

 

[Al]

Quote:

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Dunno about coolant..need to ask my mechanic what he does with that..

---

Coolant can usually go down the drain and is processed by municipal waste facilities. If you have a septic tank don't pour it down the drain.

 

[GMGuy]

See if your city/county has a household hazerdous waste disposal program going.
Ours will collect any paints and related materials, oil, oil filters and anti-freeze.

Alex.

 

[Vilan]

I'm not sure why

is ahead of

, but up here you can drop off used oil, filters, and coolant at most major auto parts stores and they'll take care of the recycling for you.