Disposing of car fluids

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How to Properly Dispose of Used Oil, Transmission Fluid, Anti-Freeze, etc.
How To Properly Dispose Of Nasty Stuff

We get lots of questions from members each month and most are specific to certain makes of cars. One set of questions that keep coming up is a more general one, however. Everybody seems to have the same problem: how to get rid of nasty stuff like waste, oil, antifreeze and, above all, oily rags. While we can't give the "perfect" answer, here are some great methods.

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I just saw on the Wal Mart commercial that they have free oil recycling. It's in fine print on the bottom of the commercial showing couples changing their own oil. Time to get this collection of milk jugs out of my garage...

Do they take trannsmission fluid?

I was surprised to learn antifreeze is biodegradeble. I can't find anyone who will take it, so I guess everyone out here is dumping it on the ground. I will at least dig a hole for it. It'll have to go through a few hundred feet of Kentucky clay before anything but a mole can get to it. That should make a decent filter.

Id hate to say it, but i'm not sure the mechs at my local wal mart know the difference between oil and xmission fluid....
ymmv.

Somehow, a small amount of used transmission fluid makes its way into each container of used motor oil I take to Autozone for reclaiming.

AA wrote:

Somehow, a small amount of used transmission fluid makes its way into each container of used motor oil I take to Autozone for reclaiming.

It's funny how that works out..

You can legally mix engine oil and transmission fluid in containers for oil recycling. You don't have to disguise it. Just put the trans fluid in any container and drop wherever you bring your oil.
The Wal-Mart near me has a separate container for used anti-freeze and they accept that as well.
From what I understand, any store or vendor that sells over a certain quantity of oil must have receptacles for accepting used oil by law.
All my local auto parts stores have them also.

AA wrote:

Somehow, a small amount of used transmission fluid makes its way into each container of used motor oil I take to Autozone for reclaiming.

Never bothers me in the least to add tranny fluid to my waste oil.
Much of it gets used as fuel in waste oil burning furnaces anyways.

http://www.recycleoil.org/

I have two 5 gallon plastic jugs I use. They are what we get Kodak plate developer in at the printing co. I work for, real heavy duty containers with a screw on cap.

You should see the looks I get from those dumping their one milk jug of mini van oil when I take the 10 gallons to the recycling center to dump about twice a year.

Anti-freeze goes down the terlet.
Supposedly the waste water treatment plants can handle it.

last container i dumped off at autozone had some brake fluid, motor oil, tranny fluid, s/c oil and coolant in it. It all goes in their tank.

normally i try had to keep all the waste in the catch pan, but if i'm doing a coolant flush its easier to park it in the grass and dump it. (so long as no neighborhood cats are around)

On a side note, my grandmas house has a spot in the back where grass will not grow b/c my uncle has been doing car work there for 50+yrs. i dont recommend anyone do that these days.

Rickw wrote:

The Wal-Mart near me has a separate container for used anti-freeze and they accept that as well.

I will check to see if our Wal-Mart does tomorrow.

Any oil change place in Fargo will take your used oil.

1998 Riv wrote:

Any oil change place in Fargo will take your used oil.

Same in NY. I work for NYC Transit in the Dept of Buses. Our Maintenance facility even takes used oil and anti freeze.

http://earth911.com/

Some of you may be able to find recycling centers with this site - the nearest place it could find for my antifreeze is 7 hours away. There is room for improvement but it may be useful for a few of you.