Where to dispose used motor oil?

Well, this may sound awful, but when I have used motor oil (usually from my lawn mowers as I take my vehicles into my Chevy dealer for service), I pour the oil on paper and firewood in my home outside fire ring (which is sitting on concrete). I then ignite it, let it burn everything to ashes. After the ashes cool, I scoop them up, bag them and put them in my dumpster for the trash truck to haul away. I live in the country and there's no restrictions about burning or having open fires. Also, any wooden items (from all the amounts of remodeling I do) gets burned outside. Nails, screws, whatever, is then scooped up with the ashes, bagged and put in the dumpster. Inside the house, in our fire place, I only burn wood. Nothing with metal parts, staples, screws, paint, varnish, or any kind of glue (like plywood). All of that is burned outside and scooped up. The ashes from the inside fireplace are scooped up in my fire bucket (when cooled), and I toss them into the field behind our house. That's call "pot ash" and its good fertilizer for the field. I suppose there's one advantage to living in the country.

Every auto parts store that sells motor oil and gas station that does oil changes is required to accept used motor oil for recycling or rerefining, if I'm not mistaken. Seems to me that was a federal EPA requirement several decades ago. In any case, I've taken my used oil to the nearest auto parts store for years. They always have a drum in the back into which such oil is dumped. They do, however, make a point of asking that you NOT dump used antifreeze in there, too.

carringb wrote:
Does your area do curbside recycling pickup? My used oil just gets picked up with the rest of the recycling.

Ditto. I can do up to a couple of gallons a week I think, though I don't go through nearly that much oil.

3oaks wrote:

proxim2020 wrote:

K Charles wrote:
Dump it on the manure spreader so it won't freeze this winter or spread it under the electric fence so the weeds grow up to the wire.

What? That's what RoundUp is for. Eventually that oil and all its contaminants will enter the water table.

OP - Just about any Walmart, Oreilly, Autozone, or Advanced Auto Parts will take it.

Well, I guess I'm as good as dead, then. For many years, all the farmers around my area dumped their used engine oil on the dirt roads to help keep the dust down. Of course today that is taboo as well as illegal.

Yep. Those old dirt roads had so much oil on them. They were hard as asphalt.

BTW. Not saying you should. But IF you were to accidently spill some around the foundation of your house, or around the ground contact spots of your RV. It will keep the rodents out. They don't like it. Not saying you should. Just that it works. But ME. NO not me, I wouldn't do such a thing.

Wait, you guys don't dump it down the storm drain? I guess I'm the only one :-)

In California, it is state law that if you sell it, you either have to take the
used oil back or have a listing of places that will take it FREE

Also, many cities have curb side pickup. Mine does, but limited to on gallon, but
at the recycling center, they have a large tank you can dump up to 5 gallons per
month per residence...have only been asked one time...but he let me anyway.

Does your area do curbside recycling pickup? My used oil just gets picked up with the rest of the recycling.

proxim2020 wrote:

K Charles wrote:
Dump it on the manure spreader so it won't freeze this winter or spread it under the electric fence so the weeds grow up to the wire.

What? That's what RoundUp is for. Eventually that oil and all its contaminants will enter the water table.

OP - Just about any Walmart, Oreilly, Autozone, or Advanced Auto Parts will take it.

Well, I guess I'm as good as dead, then. For many years, all the farmers around my area dumped their used engine oil on the dirt roads to help keep the dust down. Of course today that is taboo as well as illegal.

I give mine to a friend, who has a waste oil heater. Also, my local Autozone takes used oil.

Per the City of Clermont website:

Hazardous and Construction Waste

Hazardous waste items and contruction waste is not collected in the curbside collection program. These items may be brought to the following locations:


Log House Road Transfer Station

Wednesdays and Saturdays, 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
10435 Log House Road, Clermont, FL 34711
(352) 394-5137)
There is no construction material accepted at this location.

Central Facilities Landfill

Monday through Saturday, 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
13130 County Landfill Road, Tavares, FL
(352) 343-3776)

Examples of construction waste material include drywall, sinks, counter tops, tile, form board, mirrors and other such items. Carpets and padding can be accepted with an advanced call of 2 days and have items bundled in no longer than 4 foot sections. Contractors performing installations are responsible for removing all waste from the property.

Examples of hazardous products include paint, paint thinners, cooking oil, used motor oil, tires, batteries (nickel-cadmium and rechargeable), antifreeze, household cleaning fluids, aerosol sprays, propane tanks, pool chemicals, pesticides, and even old tires.

Check the label to determine whether something is a hazardous product. Hazardous wastes may include any of the following words on the label: pesticide, warning, caustic, poison, acid, danger and flammable.

For questions regarding hazardous waste, please call Lake County Solid Waste at (352) 343-3776.