Recycling a "water bottle" with engine oil stain, possible?

[Kira]

quandary over a teaspoon of the stuff.

"Remember, one part motor oil pollutes a million parts of ground water", claimed one oil company's label...promoting proper disposal.

 

[tmorris1]

If you are determined to return clean plastic for recycling then just wash it, be it dish soap or brake cleaner or whatnot.
I just rinse with water what goes into blue bin, but do a little more to clean what goes back for deposit refund.

In that case you wasting more resources than will be recovered from the bottle.

 

[Snagglefoot]

I try to be environmental-friendly as much as I can, leveraing our town's recycling center to dump old oils, filters and containers, as we try all do.

One time, I used an empty water bottle (dried), cut the bottom and used it as a funnel (which actually fit perfectly for our SUV as the fill cap is rather "deep"). This method was convenient as I don't have to clean up, produce another piece of trash (a shop towel with oil stain) and just dump the bottle in our recycling bin.

However, a friend of mine said that this particular bottle CANNOT be recycled and I shouldn't do that. I am taking his advice since I have more than a few funnels with various lengths, and a flexible funnel which is really easy to clean up.

Is this true? I maybe splitting hairs here but I thought NOT wasting / discarding a oil-stained paper towel was "better / less worse" then a water bottle with oil stain (which I thought could be recycled).

Any feedback / insights will be appreciated, as usual!

You are a good person. If I have the same dilemma I put it in the garbage. A guy told me there is a huge storage are in the Pacfic ocean where the plastic bottles go.

 

[KrisZ]

Here is my routine to help the environment as every little bit counts:
- Used oil get flushed in the toilet
- used coolant poured into a hole dug in the ground
- plastics and tires get burned.
- cardboard goes into the trash.

Just doing my part…

 

[Kestas]

I too am a big recycler. But if there is any doubt, toss it in the trash. Too many batches of recyclables are relegated to the regular trash because there is too much contamination in the batch. I've heard that in some places 70% of recycled material is trashed. This is the result of dealing with the lowest common denominator of uneducated people.

 

[Speedbird001]

#1 I am a big supporter of recycling. (Nice to hear I'm not the only one who cuts the top off a water bottle (To tip and drain oil on my mower).

Few years ago our [HOA] trash/recycling provider gave us a reminder: Recycling material needs to be clean. Example NO: oil soaked pizza boxes, food containers covered in residue you get the idea. I am sure, motor oil coated bottles and towels are also a no-go.

Notes:
- I have been told many times the % of recycling that gets rejected and landfilled is shockingly high
- Our trash costs are low because they are subsidizing their costs by selling the metal
- For 2-3 years they would not take glass because it cost them money to recycle... Apparently their is some kind of relationship between cost of electricity and the glass recycling go/no-go decision point.

 

[Kira]

This is the result of dealing with the lowest common denominator of uneducated people.

Alas, it's likely resentment and dirt common recalcitrance (childishness) on the part of people who are lazy to begin with.
Others included resentment in their behavioral assessment.

 

[barbersurgeon]

I try to recycle as much as I can. Really wish this tech would have panned out:

https://www.discovermagazine.com/anything-into-oil-03-15890

 

[KrisZ]

Recycling, as it’s currently being done, is pretty much a scam and just a way for well connected companies to make money. Waste Management corp is literally everywhere, even in Europe I see their logo in small towns as well as big cities.

Must be quite lucrative to “manage” waste.

 

[mdtn952]

I heard some "expert" on BBC America say that about 5-10% of plastic actually gets recycled. More and more I find myself not going through the effort of recycling plastic....I drain oil filters for a day or so...recycle paper and cardboard but plastic?...may be a lost cause for now...too bad...we may end up drowning in it.

 

[eljefino]

If your town wants you to recycle, endeavor as best you can to do so. Even if they pay to get rid of it, they could be paying less per ton because it's "clean." Everyone likes lower taxes and transfer station expenses.

At the same time, if you can achieve 90% compliance, that's probably good enough-- disposing of the occasional stained container as regular garbage. I'm a scofflaw in that my peanut butter jars go in the regular waste stream.

 

[tmorris1]

If your town wants you to recycle, endeavor as best you can to do so. Even if they pay to get rid of it, they could be paying less per ton because it's "clean." Everyone likes lower taxes and transfer station expenses.

At the same time, if you can achieve 90% compliance, that's probably good enough-- disposing of the occasional stained container as regular garbage. I'm a scofflaw in that my peanut butter jars go in the regular waste stream.

You mean you don't waste 5 gallons of hot water to clean it out to recycle... Shame on you.