Used Motor Oil

[Roberts210]

I have always changed my own oil and take the oil to various auto-parts stores so they can recycle it. Does anybody know if the auto parts stores make any money off the used motor oil? Or do they have to pay to have it hauled away. I'm mostly curious. Someone here must have worked in an auto parts store and know the answer. I worked at Western Auto back in the late 1960's but nobody was recycling used motor oil then. We did spray it on weeds tho!

 

[Randy in Maine]

Really depends on the price of oil per barrel. When it was high, some places were getting paid (about 25 cents a gallon) to take it and when low they have to pay a little (like 25 cents a gallon) to get rid of it. Most of it is transportation costs.

 

[kd3pc]

since you can't spray it on weeds, roads or fence boards any more...

the parts place usually just stores it for a "service" to come by and pick it up...very little if any money in it for the store.

At the tech school where I teach, we have a service, that stops by as needed up to two times a quarter for $500-600 per year. They supply a water/tamper proof tank outside the shop, about 150 gallons I suspect.

 

[rburke65]

Well I can not imagine part stores are doing it for free. I'm sure they are making something on it. And I wouldn't be shocked if the EPA didn't have some sort of mandate like....if ya sell oil ya have to offer a means of recycle to the public.

 

[bigdav160]

I used to get paid to have used oil hauled off.

Now I have to pay them.

rburke65, used oil is mostly used as "bunk oil" to power ships. It's recycled by burning it out at sea.

 

[B T C]

Speaking of used oil, what does everyone do with their old filters? A lot of parts stores that take used oil will not take the filters. I took an old filter to a Firestone and they "reluctantly" took it. Maybe I've over thinking it, but I don't really want to just throw them out with my trash.

 

[Ign]

Speaking of used oil, what does everyone do with their old filters? A lot of parts stores that take used oil will not take the filters. I took an old filter to a Firestone and they "reluctantly" took it. Maybe I've over thinking it, but I don't really want to just throw them out with my trash.

My local o'Reilly takes filters.

My local Grease Monkey takes filters and waste coolant. They used to take my oil but told me due to the market right now they'd have to start charging me to take waste oil.

Actually AZ is my favorite place to pour my waste oil - due to their WalMart strategy on staffing and payroll there's never anyone available to notice me (if anyone is staffing the place AT ALL) and I just walk back, pour it and walk out. Unfortunately for AZ I never shop there and don't even pick up a quick widget while I'm in-store pouring my oil - it takes FOREVER to check out.

 

[B T C]

I actually buy most of my oil at Autozone when they run their oil and filter specials. The couple of times I've tried, they wouldn't take my old filters.

Service has always been pretty good at the stores I frequent.

 

[Spareparts]

Find someone who burn's used oil, found my guy on FB and he takes all of mine, about 500 gal. a year. As for filters I turn them upside down on the storage tank and let them drain and just burn them in my wood stove (Large) give my junker the remains and as a side benefit after a couple dozen filters their will be a nice large ingot of aluminum in the bottom of the stove.

 

[exranger06]

Well I can not imagine part stores are doing it for free. I'm sure they are making something on it. And I wouldn't be shocked if the EPA didn't have some sort od mandate like....if ya sell oil ya have to offer a means of recycle to the public.

There is no such law/mandate. I work at a Napa store. We obviously sell oil, but we do not take any used oil. Same deal with the Walmart down the street.

 

[nbpt100]

In my state they have to take used oil by law if they sell it. You have to prove you purchased it from them with a receipt. And if you poor it back in to a Wal-mat oil jug it can be a hard sell taking it somewhere else.
It is not enforced from what I can see. That would mean super markets and drug stores would have to take it back and they don't.

All of the Box store auto parts places take it with out much fan fare. I have seen one store actually use some kind of device to sniff it to make sure it is not contaminated with, what ever. Anti freeze I guess?

If they have enough of it I can't see it costing them to get rid of it. Especially in cold climates. plenty of people have furnaces that can burn it now for heat. Even the local trade school burns it to heat the shop.

I know enough people now who burn it and will happily take it from me so I have not been to a store to get rid of it for years.

I drain the filter as best I can and throw it in the trash. I never heard of a store taking used filters back to recycle but it sounds logical and hopefully better for the environment.

My advice is find someone who can burn it. They will love you for it. If you live down south it may be hard.

 

[Roberts210]

Thanks guys. I lived in Cal for 35 years and often took my used oil to Pep Boys. They did take filters and had a filter-squasher which would flatten drained filters.

 

[jimindm]

In Iowa a place that sells it must allow you to a place to return with the used oil. Now most places that do not want to deal with it(grocery store convenience stores, and such) work out an agreement with a place close that will allow their customers to bring it in.

Also in Iowa a shop can not just toss used filters in the trash. They are to be recycled, and the state provides you a list of companies that will do it for you. At a cost. A person at home it does not effect, so do as you want.

I used to call a guy to pick my used oil up. They just did it because they heated an electrical warehouse with it. They quit doing it a few years ago and it has been tough to find some one that just wanted a 55 gallon drum. Many said if you had more we would take it, but just not worth a the amount of a drum. I then bought a 275 gallon tote. I can say their are quite a few that want to mess with that amount.

Just as I bought it many people wanted to start charging to take oil. It seems like it must be a good business to be in, because the companies that were just picking it up, are now being bought out by the ones that were charging.

 

[isb cornbinder]

I installed a 6.9 Diesel in a 1953, R120 International pickup. In those days I did my own oil changes. The waste oil was added to the fuel in the tanks and life went on just fine. Some of the other oils I burned in that engine were rancid olive oil, linseed oil, parts washing solvent and I was given 50 litres of filtered French fry oil.. That engine injection pumped Kerosene, waste jet fuel and another time I added 4 litres of WD40 to the second tank and the engine ran just fine. Each tank had a spin-on fuel filter and just before the injection pump I used a STANODYNE filter.
I bought the 6.9 V8 engine used at a local truck recycler when it had about 100,000 miles. In the next 20 years, I drove that engine and truck combination another 225,000 miles.
My friend's mother refused to change to Natural Gas. Her old boiler remained on oil until she dies at 99, More than a few of us contributed our oil changes to her oil tank.

 

[EOC_Jason]

Yeah, certain states have regulatory requirements that certain places have to accept used oil. I'm sure it's built into the price when they sell new oil.

Depending on location, like when I lived in Houston so there were refinery's near by, they would pay you if you had X amount of used oil (not mixed with coolant or other contaminates). If it had other crud in it then you would have to pay, but it still wasn't that bad.

 

[Randy in Maine]

I put my used oil filters in my regular trash that goes to a landfill or incinerator. I am not a business though.

 

[crewchief888]

i take mine to work.

we have a waste oil tote that get pumped out very 4-5 weeks. they provide us with 2 large rolling garbage cans for drained oil filters.

we have a separate container for used A/F

i believe right now, were at $0 for waste oil pickup. sometimes we pay per gallon, sometimes we get paid per gallon.

 

[vettex2]

AutoZone gives me 20 cents a gallon

 

[SH7mi]

Many garages in my area are installing Waste Oil Heaters in their shop. Great idea... waste not want not.

 

[Marcm157]

I work for a mid sized transportation company and we have 4 waste oil burning heaters in our shop so I take all my used oil there. We also have a specific dumpster style container for filters. We used to take "Friends and family" used oil but we started having contamination problems. We run 158 buses so we generate plenty of waste oil ourselves. Before the heaters were installed we were paying a service to come evacuate our holding tanks.

 

[Ign]

Please don't throw your filters away guys. There's still a lot of oil in there and it's just dumb to have those metals in the landfill FOREVER when they can be recycled.

Just look for an inexpensive plastic tool box to house your old filters until you have enough to take them somewhere. Call your local Jiffy Lube/Grease Monkey and ask if they'll take them. Otherwise call your municipality or ask a local shop.

 

[ambenz]

Our public works department takes our oil.
Filters are tossed in the landfill...couldn't find a place to take them unless I save them for a year and take them to our local recycling days in town every May.

 

[nehog]

Well I can not imagine part stores are doing it for free. I'm sure they are making something on it. And I wouldn't be shocked if the EPA didn't have some sort od mandate like....if ya sell oil ya have to offer a means of recycle to the public.

In many states they are required to take it if they sell new oil. What they do with it afterwards is their problem.

 

[srr]

Seems that it depends on the state. Here in San Diego parts stores take used oil and filters. It's a royal PITA since I work at one. The containers have to be inverted for 24 hours and the cartridge filters have to be separated from the metal ones. Oily rags, paper towels and kitty litter go in yet another container. Here parts stores PAY to have the oil picked up. Last time some nitwit contaminated our tank with "Transformer" oil the fines were outrageous. This where used oil ends up:

 

[killahog]

Please don't throw your filters away guys. There's still a lot of oil in there and it's just dumb to have those metals in the landfill FOREVER when they can be recycled.

Just look for an inexpensive plastic tool box to house your old filters until you have enough to take them somewhere. Call your local Jiffy Lube/Grease Monkey and ask if they'll take them. Otherwise call your municipality or ask a local shop.

Good Tip

 

[Ign]

Seems that it depends on the state. Here in San Diego parts stores take used oil and filters. It's a royal PITA since I work at one. The containers have to be inverted for 24 hours and the cartridge filters have to be separated from the metal ones. Oily rags, paper towels and kitty litter go in yet another container. Here parts stores PAY to have the oil picked up. Last time some nitwit contaminated our tank with "Transformer" oil the fines were outrageous. This where used oil ends up:

Everybody should watch that (while understanding it is Safety Kleen propaganda- but if even 50% of his claims are true that's still good)

Even the reddest patriot should like claims such as "reduce our need for imported crude oil" and "virtually 100% of the oil that comes into our plant is recycled or reused".

Interesting that at about 5:15 it seems to suggest waste oil and coolant are thrown in together and then separated.

I always thought it was a bummer the Nexgen oil apparently failed. I think the public just wasn't comfortable w the thought of using used oil. Or maybe there were other problems.

Finally, what's transformer oil? From Optimus Prime?

edit: also it would appear Safety Kleen is creating a decent number of domestic jobs (just a guess)

 

[EOC_Jason]

Finally, what's transformer oil? From Optimus Prime?

The transformers for the power grid... like you see hanging from a power-pole or the pad transformers on the ground (often with lots of fins to dissipate heat), and substations... Those are filled with mineral oil typically...

 

[Randy in Maine]

"Transformer oil" is generally from electrical transformers and in the past they contained PCBs. New ones don't contain it. Old ones generally had them in the thousands of parts per million (ppm).

There are pretty good reasons that PCBs are considered hazardous wastes (at levels above 50 ppm). Very nasty.

 

[Schurkey]

When I was in the business, our shop was clamoring for waste oil. Couldn't get enough just doing oil changes for customers, we'd take all we could get from the DIY crowd. I still haul my oil there, but there's a lot less of it now that I'm off the early-oil-change habit.

There was a time that I had a fuel-oil "parlor stove" in my garage. I burned my own used oil for awhile.

Trans shops had it good. ATF burns nicely in a waste-oil furnace, and they always seemed to have plenty of it.

I suppose there's actual oil recycling going on around here, but I don't know why. Waste oil furnaces would be a more reasonable disposal method given the climate.

 

[Ign]

Ah thanks. I just know my scrapyard will only take ballasts clearly labeled "no PCBs"

 

[billspit]

Our solid waste convenience centers take used oil and filters. They may now even take antifreeze.

 

[wasfuzz]

Well I can not imagine part stores are doing it for free. I'm sure they are making something on it. And I wouldn't be shocked if the EPA didn't have some sort od mandate like....if ya sell oil ya have to offer a means of recycle to the public.

They do and it is just as you stated! At least here in MN!

 

[cj92345]

lol.....my autozone was happy to take it when they where getting paid, now there drums are magically "full" all the time, can't take any more.

 

[mudhog]

I have a heater that uses all my waste oil and I take a few neighbors left overs too. I put ****** fluid, hydraulic, motor oil, old cooking oil, etc. you name it, and it heats my shop for free.

 

[bwringer]

In Indiana, there are several chains on the oil dropoff list, but whether they'll actually take your oil when you show up is highly variable.

Advance Auto is the least troublesome, but sometimes they want to limit me to less than five gallons -- it seems to depend on the mood of the parts monkey that day.

At Autoclownz, I usually get a blank look, or they might reluctantly take two gallons.

At Walmart, I've never managed to find the right combination of correct hours (we only take oil on alternate Thursdays on a full moon when Saggitarius is the the fourth house of Cthulhu), or the only person trained to pour oil from a jug is actually here, or we have the key, the tank's not full, it's not too close to opening or closing, etc. But most of the time it's just an utterly blank look -- they've never heard of such foolishment.

Fortunately, there are several "Tox Drop" sites around Indy that open for one or two days a month, and I usually just try to plan ahead an bit and take my oil and any other nasties I need to get rid of.

 

[6PTsocket]

My town's recycling center takes all I've got. Just show drivers license to prove residency. It says oil only, but who can tell how much anti freeze, brake or transmission fluid is in your jug.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[Capt Chrysler]

Here in Nebraska they now charge for oil disposal. A couple of years ago they paid you! Now I,m setting on 400 gallons of used AW46 and 100 gallons of used engine oil. Guess I will give it to a guy with a waste oil burner.

Capt. Chrysler

 

[930dreamer]

Our local fire station has a oil tank and a can for the filters. I keep all my oil in a 275 gallon tote beside the shop.

 

[isb cornbinder]

The company were I worked for 37 years used to encourage us to bring in our waste oil and filters. The company got money for this stuff. I retired about a decade ago and I am told that all of that policy has changed. In 2017, no employee present or past is allowed to take advantage of the company recycling.
The West Coast city I live in has a transfer station that takes waste oil and filters. This new and advanced facility takes old paint, batteries different plastics and all kinds of paper. Our shop drops off about 1000 pounds of scrap steel for recycling, every year, at the transfer station now that my former employer has changed their policy.

 

[Shop Specialties]

Here in Montana a couple of years ago a corporate outfit Emerald Recycling came in and was paying $1.00 a gallon. The small recycling companies in the state could not compete and sold out to them. Since they are the only company to call now they have been gouging people $1.00 a gallon or more to take their oil. Safety-Kleen bought them out last year and they charge all kinds of extra fees and everybody gets charged for test kit even if they do not use one.

That Safety-Kleen video mentioned above is a bunch of BS propaganda. They are constantly getting fined from EPA, OSHA, DEQ and others.