Many local waste management services include curbside collection for recycling many types of plastics, paper, and glass. You can expand your household's recycling by looking for ways to recycle other common household items, including batteries, paint, and motor and cooking oils. Here is some information about the benefits and importance to recycling motor and cooking oils, and how you can recycle them in your area.
Motor Oil
Motor oil is a common type of lubricant, as it is used to lubricate the engines and motor parts of mechanical items from vehicles to lawnmowers. The used motor oil you drain from your vehicle during a regular oil change is enough to contaminate one million gallons of fresh water, if it gets into the water system. Motor oil also cannot be disposed of in your trash, as it will end up in your local landfill and will pollute the environment if it leaks out from its container. Motor oil pollutes the environment because it is insoluble, degrades slowly, sticks to many surfaces, including wildlife, and contains chemicals and heavy metals. So, when you need to get rid of any used motor oil, don't dump it in the trash, down the drain, or into the storm drain in front of your house.
Motor oil never gets worn out; it only becomes dirty from impurities that make it work less effectively. When you recycle motor oil, the impurities are removed and the re-refined oil is just as good, if not better than the original oil. Laboratory tests and field studies have found that recycled and re-refined oil passes prescribed tests proving it is equivalent to and can even outperform virgin motor oils.
Recycling your used oil saves energy and uses fewer resources. It takes 42 gallons of crude oil to produce two and a half quarts of motor oil. And one gallon of used oil can be recycled into two and a half quarts of new motor oil. It also takes less energy to produce a gallon of re-refined base stock than it takes to produce a base stock from crude oil. You're also helping out the United States by reducing America's dependence on foreign oil.
To recycle, place your used motor oil in a sealed container to prevent it from leaking out, and take it to a business in your area that accepts used motor oil for recycling. Many retailers that sell motor oil, including repair garages, will take your used motor oil. If you do not know of a location in your area that will take and recycle motor oil, you can use the Earth911 website to search for a location.
Cooking Oil
It is not a good idea to dump used cooking oil down the drain, as it can stick to the inside of your pipes, causing clogs and blockages. It is also recommended to not place cooking oil in your garden composting. Although it is safe to throw your cooking oil into the trash, this will cause the landfills to fill quicker and it will waste a resource that could be recycled and used again.
Used cooking oil is recycled into bio-diesels most of the time, which power bio-diesel vehicles. (The portion that cannot be recycled into fuel is used to produce animal feed.) It takes approximately two gallons of used cooking oil to produce one gallon of bio-diesel fuel. Recycling used vegetable and cooking oils into bio-diesels helps reduce pollution emissions in the environment from vehicles, as the bio-diesel burns cleaner than regular diesel fuel, is non-toxic and biodegradable. And the emissions from bio-diesel don't contain any carbon monoxide.
Many states and cities have used cooking oil drop-off locations where you can donate your used oil for recycling. You can also use the Earth911 website to search your area for a nearest drop-off location. Place your oil in a container and allow it to cool before depositing it into a local oil recycling bin.
Use this information to help the environment and the world's natural resources by recycling your used oils. For more information on ways to recycle, contact a waste management company like B-P Trucking Inc.
Share