Being a responsible vehicle owner means keeping up with maintenance, including regular oil changes. Having a professional take care of this service keeps your engine lubricated and operating properly and ensures the old fluid is disposed of safely. What does this mean for your car? The following guide outlines how maintenance experts recycle oil and why it’s an important part of the oil change service.

How Is Motor Oil Recycled?

Car maintenance teams typically place tarps and drip pans under vehicles before removing the old oil to prevent spills and waste. Drip pans feature built-in spouts for quick transfer into sealed storage containers, such as those made of polyethylene plastic. They avoid oil contamination by making certain it does not mix with windshield washer, brake, or transmission fluid, as contaminated fluids cannot be recycled.

Automotive professionals also remove the oil filter from your vehicle for recycling since they are made of steel and provide reusable scrap metal. 

Used motor oil undergoes refinement for use as a lubricant or base lube stock. It is also reborn as fuel oil to heat homes and businesses and provide power to electrical plants. Additional applications include petrochemical industry use, as well as marine fuel. Refined motor oil is also safe to use in vehicles.

Why Is Recycling Part of the Oil Change Service?

Recycling motor oil allows it to be reused in practical ways and helps protect people, animals, and the environment. Motor oil contains a range of toxic substances, including known carcinogens such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Water and soil contaminated by oil create health risks for humans and animals alike, including headaches, hallucinations, blurred vision, lung and throat cancers, heart attacks, and digestive problems. The Environmental Protection Agency notes that oil from a single oil change is enough to pollute 1 million gallons of fresh water when it is disposed of incorrectly. 

Recycling motor oil also saves energy because it takes less power to produce one gallon of re-refined oil compared to one gallon of crude oil. The environmental benefits of recycling extend even further by reducing demand for new drilling.
 

Take care of your car and the environment by scheduling routine oil changes with the professionals at Landrum Lube in Spartanburg County, SC. The car maintenance center provides quick oil changes and proper disposal as well as oil filter changes and tire pressure checks. Call the Landrum Chamber of Commerce-accredited business at (864) 457-3956 today to make an appointment or visit the website for service details.