Oil and Water don't mixRecycle used oilUsed motor oil getting into a stream is almost as disgusting as dogb**p (hotlink) and is really a lot worse for the health of the organisms in the stream. It's also pretty easy to dispose of it properly since every gas station will accept it (FREE) as well as the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (WLSSD). It's a State Law. Motor oil doesn't wear out very much but it does get dirty. It might be re-refined and made into lubricating oils that are as good as non-recycled motor oil. Or it may ultimately be burned in special furnaces for heat, or used in power plants to generate electricity for homes, schools and businesses. Putting it in the trash or dumping it out on the ground is NOT an option. You pollute Minnesota's groundwater, lakes and streams — that's no way to treat the "land of 10,000 lakes."  What's
the problem ?The oil can form a slick that looks bad, slimes the shoreline, poisons amphibians, fish and the aquatic organisms they depend on for food, and is unhealthy for you, other people and birds and mammals that eat the fish and amphibians. Oil films on the surface of water prevent oxygen from diffusing into the water from the air, impair photosynthesis and block sunlight. It's gross and it's poisonous ! As motor oil circulates through an engine, it picks up heavy metals and other contaminants. Arsenic, lead, cadmium, copper, zinc, chromium and some of the nastier organic compounds such as benzene and PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) are just some of the toxins found in used motor oil. These compounds are all considered to be priority pollutants by the US Environmental Protection Agency and only one gallon of used motor oil can potentially cause significant contamination to a million gallons of clean stream water, in addition to ruining its taste. Dumping it onto the ground is not a good alternative either since it can contaminate groundwater and may still end up in a stream since this is the source of much of the water in our streams during low flow periods- what we call "baseflow." (don't forget that our streams all discharge into Lake Superior). Even in a landfill it can eventually leak into the groundwater. The best way to deal with used oil is to recycle it. Where To Bring Used Oil All places that sell motor oil in the State of Minnesota (including Auto dealerships, gas stations and auto repair shops) must either accept used motor oil or have a sign that tells you the nearest place where you can take it.
You can also find disposal locations for oil and many other recyclables by visiting the Earth's 911 web site to find. Fortunately, motor oil is very recyclable - it doesn't wear out, although it does get dirty. It can be re-refined and made into lubricating oils that are as good as non-recycled motor oil. Or it might be processed and burned for heat or to generate electricity for homes, schools and businesses.
To Recycle Your Used Motor Oil... 2. Keep water out. Oil contaminated with water,
gasoline or hydraulic fluids can't be recycled and must be
disposed of in an expensive manner. Store the oil in a leak-proof
container.
3. Your oil filters may also be recycled. Drain oil filters
prior to bringing them to a used oil collection facility.
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• One
pint of oil can produce a slick of approximately one acre
of water
• about 2.5 quarts of re-refined lubricating
oil can be produced from 1 gallon of used oil
• re-refining is energy efficient -- less
energy is required to produce a gallon of re-refined base
stock than to produce base stock from crude oil
• the U.S. States Postal Service and National
Park Service use re-refined oil in their vehicle fleets
• over 450 million oil filters are purchased
annually in the U.S.
• about 15 million oil filters were recycled
in 1996
• recycling 1 ton of drained oil filters produces
1,700 pounds of steel and recovers about 60 gallons of used
oil
• in the U. S., 42-60 % of drivers are do-it-yourself
oil changers. Each year, about 75% of the 14 billion gallons
of recoverable used motor oil generated by do-it-yourselfers
(DIYs) is disposed of improperly (API, 1996).
• Americans throw away enough used motor oil
every year to fill 120 supertankers
• One gallon of used oil provides the same
2.5 quarts of high quality lubricating oil as 42 gallons of
crude oil.
• People
should look for their Certification symbol which is an indicator
of quality. The American Petroleum Institute's (API) Engine
Oil Quality Marks- the API Service Symbol "Donut"
and Certification Mark "Starburst" help consumers
identify quality engine oils for their gasoline- and diesel-powered
vehicles.