Used Oil Containers

[Big_Kat]

I was driving through town and noticed that the rural recycling truck was in and happened to have about 5 used 5qt jugs after by recent drop off of used oil at O'Reilly's. Walked up with the jugs guy says "We can't use anything that has add automotive fluid in them" Why the [censored] not I think. Plastic is a petroleum product why cant they recycle it? Please enlighten me folks as this has sent me off the edge.

 

[stuntboy79]

I encouter the same situation. We put out more recycling than garbage. The recycling guy is lazy as [censored],half the time he doesn't take my plastic or cardboard. I even separate it and have to put a recycling sign on it. I just don't get it either. I'm sorta turning into the recycling nazi I guess lol.

 

[bepperb]

In my last city they wouldn't take them. In my new city they take them out of the garbage if they're on top and put them in the recycling when they take my garbage.

Who knows. Probably depends on who is buying the plastic and for what.

 

[Matt_K]

I did a quick Google and found the following, don't know how true it is, perhaps some recycling facilities aren't equipped/ don't want to go to the effort. I find it odd that the bottles are stamped w/ the recycling logo, but "can't" be recycled.....
http://www.ecocycle.org/askeco-cycle/2005/0121.cfm


Can I recycle a motor oil bottle with a #2 on the bottom?

"No. Motor oil residue has become one of the biggest contaminants for our plastics markets. The residue seeps into the porous plastic and cannot be removed through the washing process. Of course you should never try to rinse or wash a motor oil bottle yourself since motor oil down the sink or storm drain causes a much larger environmental crisis than a plastic bottle in the trash. A motor oil bottle in a pile of plastics could potentially contaminate a whole batch of otherwise-recyclable materials and cause the whole lot to be sent to the landfill."

 

[Burt]

Originally Posted By: Matt_K
"Of course you should never try to rinse or wash a motor oil bottle yourself since motor oil down the sink or storm drain causes a much larger environmental crisis than a plastic bottle in the trash."

An environmental crisis from residue on motor oil bottle? BP are you listening?

 

[willix]

Household recyclers have an across the board policy that anything containing a hazardous product or liquid is to be recycled through different channels. The only automotive by-product that can be introduced into the waste stream is the contents of the ash tray. Those containers would be burned after being emptied. Some cities have ordinances the do not allow you to change the oil on your car in your driveway.

 

[PandaBear]

Many recyclers today have shredder that shred oil bottles into chips to drain more remaining oil out. Then the plastics would be incinerated or buried in landfill rather than recycle.

Those who doesn't take oil bottle does not have these equipment, but nowadays most recyclers manually sort the contents out anyways, so if you have a cap on your bottles and jugs before you put into the bin, you should be fine. If not, the leakage from these containers can contaminate the whole batch.

 

[rjacket]

This is, I'm afraid to say, a good reason to use bulk oil.

 

[dwendt44]

The local landfill has a tank for drain oil. Because many would pour their oil in the tank, and then toss the bottles/jugs into the trash containers (like white elephants), they decided to put a separate dumpster next to the oil tank just for bottle/jugs and filters.
Handled separatly I'd guess.

 

[NJC]

Our local Chevron has a separate bin for used oil bottles. As well some local shops (Canadian Tire for those interested) will take used oil and filters too (and probably bottles). But maybe it's just separated to keep the contaminants separated?

 

[bradepb]

I put my empty oil bottles in the recycle bin and they have always taken them, Quarts or jugs,these are bottles that contained the new oil never any used oil in them, I put the used oil in washer solvent jugs and dump them in our used oil at work.