Pep Boys refuses used oil

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2018 CX-5 Sport
Today I went to recycle 5 quarts of used motor oil. I went to Pep Boys, my go to place for years, and to my dismay they said "We no longer accept used motor oil, because people were bringing junk and gasoline in their bottles and we were fined for having the junk and gasoline in our tank". It must have been a pretty steep fine. So I took it to Advanced Auto, who also recycles used oil. They said "Sorry, we are full". However, when leaving, I saw a row of 5 or 6 jugs of used oil at the side of the store so I put my jug in the line of jugs. I am starting to believe that my state might be making it more difficult to recycle used oil as part of the green earth incentive by making it more expensive to recycle oil. My buddy had the dealer change his oil, and he had to pay an oil disposal fee on top of the price of the oil change.
Also, people who are really sloppy should not be changing their own oil and putting their leaves, papers, sticks and old gasoline in their oil jugs and bringing it to the oil recycle places. Those places will be fined by the state and closed down if their used motor oil is contaminated.
 
In Dallas, Texas I usually bring my used oil to the recycling center operated by my city. The container looks like a Dogloo and people dump in all kind of stuff in there, used motor oil、ATF、gear lubricant、even coolant! But I know many people just dump the used oil in milk containers and throw them in the recycling cart to get picked up by the garbage truck.

In San Jose, California I can put used oil in the gallon containers provided by the city and leave them on the curb side for pick up on the garbage collection day.

BTW, it’s been discussed a while ago, that 50% used oil collected for “recycling” actually got burned off shore. So if you really want to save the environment, use the oil to its maximum serviceable life to reduce the frequency of the oil change. That’s why there’s the “Flexible” oil change interval. And it’s been used in Europe and Asia for many years. Changing oil at 10,000 ~ 12,500 miles based on Flexible OCI notification is a norm there. My 2000 BMW 528i has up to 17,500-mile Flexible OCI!
 
Today I went to recycle 5 quarts of used motor oil. I went to Pep Boys, my go to place for years, and to my dismay they said "We no longer accept used motor oil, because people were bringing junk and gasoline in their bottles and we were fined for having the junk and gasoline in our tank". It must have been a pretty steep fine. So I took it to Advanced Auto, who also recycles used oil. They said "Sorry, we are full". However, when leaving, I saw a row of 5 or 6 jugs of used oil at the side of the store so I put my jug in the line of jugs. I am starting to believe that my state might be making it more difficult to recycle used oil as part of the green earth incentive by making it more expensive to recycle oil. My buddy had the dealer change his oil, and he had to pay an oil disposal fee on top of the price of the oil change.
Also, people who are really sloppy should not be changing their own oil and putting their leaves, papers, sticks and old gasoline in their oil jugs and bringing it to the oil recycle places. Those places will be fined by the state and closed down if their used motor oil is contaminated.
Yep, there's always some one trying to take advantage of the situation getting rid of stuff where it doesn't belong. Occasionally I'll use a pay car wash to rinse the car and every once in a while the stalls will be closed because some one tried changing oil in the stalls and let the oil drain into the stall drain causing a big clog. What state are you in?
 
I'm in NJ. My town has a hazardous waste day three times a year, but it is a long wait. I brought some kerosene and shop lights a few months ago and I was in line for over an hour. And yes, a lot of people have used oil boilers that they run to heat their shops with, besides the off shore factories that heat the buildings with used motor oil boilers. It is probably a very small percentage that gets recycled into fresh oil again.
 
The Autozone where I used to shop had a sign on the door warning people not to leave their used oil containers outside the store or throw them in the dumpster.

Where I live now the only auto parts store in town is Napa and they don't accept it. There is a gas station in town that does repairs and will accept used oil. But the one time I used them, there was so much old oil soaked into the ground around the collection tank that I had it all over my shoes and had to take them off before getting in my car and getting oil all over the floor mats.

However, the County dump will take used oil, paint and other hazmat materials every third Saturday at no charge. So I just take my used oil there now.
One time I did have an auto parts store refuse to take oil that I had drained into old liquid laundry detergent jugs. They claimed the oil could be contaminated. I took it to one of their competitors and they didn't bat an eye.
 
Walmart accepts it. They have a log you have to sign certifying that it is motor oil.
 
geez I didn't realize it was such a PITA to recycle oil anymore. OP from your post, I would have bet money you were in CA given but NJ is a pretty close 2nd.

I do remember growing up in Santa Ana that you could get those containers from the city and they would pick up the used oil on trash collection days. not sure if they still do that
 
If this keeps up things will revert back to the way it was done in the 60's.
Just dump the used oil down the sewer drain on the street.
 
I do remember growing up in Santa Ana that you could get those containers from the city and they would pick up the used oil on trash collection days. not sure if they still do that
Yes. See post #2.
 
My county has 2 hazardous waste collection sites that are open 6 days a week. Most items are accepted for free including used oil. They do charge for some items ($3/tire, $10 for TVs/computer monitors, $15 for a large appliance). If they think an item is reusable (like a half full container of paint or a "dead" computer that someone might want for parts) they put it in a separate area and people can take those items for free. My city also has a once a year clean-up day where you can get rid of lots of stuff just by leaving it at the curb to be picked up (but not oil or tires).
 
My city also has a once a year clean-up day where you can get rid of lots of stuff just by leaving it at the curb to be picked up (but not oil or tires).
Dude, I'd be all over that to pick up lawnmowers and weed eaters and stuff. Lots of free money laying on the ground, with just a little labor and know-how.
 
geez I didn't realize it was such a PITA to recycle oil anymore. OP from your post, I would have bet money you were in CA given but NJ is a pretty close 2nd.

I do remember growing up in Santa Ana that you could get those containers from the city and they would pick up the used oil on trash collection days. not sure if they still do that
With the stuff that winds up in our trash in NJ, oil is the least of our concerns.

I had to laugh because I take a monthly arthritis injection and save the used pens in a sharps container. Called local DoH and EPA in NJ and also confirmed online. I was directed to seal the sharps container and tape it. Then to write on the container “medical waste, do not recycle” and dispose in regular trash. I couldn’t believe it!

As a result, I simply pay to ship my container once per year to medical waste disposal facility in NC who properly incinerates it.
 
Dude, I'd be all over that to pick up lawnmowers and weed eaters and stuff. Lots of free money laying on the ground, with just a little labor and know-how.
You'd love where I live, a pickers paradise, though you'd have competition. They allow putting out just about anything in the weekly trash except hazardous waste and electronics. You can put out one large item per week, at least up to sofa-sized, though I've seen piles of large stuff and the trash men take it. I have put out just what you say, a Toro mower and a Stihl string trimmer, gone before morning.
 
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A Toro and a Stihl! Holy crap, that's big money. Around here, those go for $150 each in good running condition. And I absolutely could have fixed them. Small engine repair is a hobby of mine.
 
A Toro and a Stihl! Holy crap, that's big money. Around here, those go for $150 each in good running condition. And I absolutely could have fixed them. Small engine repair is a hobby of mine.
I'm sure. I have no such hobby, though I'm glad the pickers do. Reupholstering too. Something like that Toro or Stihl ($160 new, so...), or an appliance that gets to 10 years old give or take, and requires a major repair or a second minor repair, then it's out the door. I'm pretty sure I could have gotten something in trade on the Toro if I bought another Toro at one particular shop, but I wanted a different make.
 
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Our local auto parts store accepts motor oil and transmission/diff fluid in the same container.
 
If you know any tandem owners that do paving work/transport asphalt material, they might take the oil off your hands. They use it to spray line their dump lining so the asphalt doesn't stick. Lived in NJ for years near a tandem owner and he was glad for it.
 
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