Understanding Your Local Recycling Program

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Not Recycling Your Used Motor Oil? 4 Important Reasons Why You Should Be

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If you like doing your own automotive maintenance, that probably includes your oil changes. If it does, you should think about how you dispose of your motor oil. Tossing it in the trash, or pouring it in the gutter in front of the house is a dangerous way to dispose of motor oil. Unfortunately, many people still do that, which is why motor oil is still finding its way into local sewers and groundwater. If it's being poured into the gutter, it can actually find it's way to local rivers and streams. The safest way to dispose of used motor oil is to recycle it. Luckily, you can recycle your motor oil by taking it to a local auto parts store near you. Most parts stores will have oil recycling containers that are free to use. Here are just four of the reasons why you need to recycle your used motor oil.

Prevents the Spread of Pollution

When you recycle your used motor oil, you prevent the spread of pollution. Not only will the motor oil stay out of your local rivers and streams, but it will also stay out of the local landfills. Motor oil can cause serious damage to the environment. You can do your part to eliminate pollution by recycling your used motor oil.

Allows Oil to Be Reused

You might not realize this, but motor oil doesn't wear out. It actually just gets very dirty, which is why you need to have it changed from time to time. When you recycle your used motor oil, it can be cleaned, processed, and resold as motor oil. That means that the motor oil you recycle will continue to be used as motor oil for years to come, as long as you continue to recycle it.

Requires Less Energy

It takes a lot of energy to produce motor oil; energy that could be put to better use elsewhere. However, it requires considerably less energy to clean and process used motor oil, which means you'll also be ensuring less energy usage for the production of new motor oil when you recycle your used oil. You'll be reducing your carbon footprint just by recycling used oil.

Reduces Need for Crude Oil

The production of motor oil requires large amounts of crude oil. In fact, studies show that it takes 42 gallons of crude oil to produce 2.5 quarts of motor oil. However, it only takes one gallon of used motor oil to produce the same 2.5 quarts of fresh motor oil. You can reduce the need for crude oil by simply recycling your used motor oil.

For more information, contact a business such as Denver Used oil.


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