Do you throw away Oil bottles?

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We have single sort recycling in our city. It's the best thing since multi-weight oil.
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We recycle more then we trash, so it's hard when they only collect every other week. I fully drain all oil bottles and recycle. I'm not sure if this is wrong, but they are recyclable and I haven't seen them say you can't.
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-T
 
At Peterson AFB, where I change my oil, they have a special container in which to put empty oil bottles for recycling. I ALWAYS use it.
 
quote:

Originally posted by oilyriser:
Imagine how much free oil you could have, if you could get the last teaspoon full from each one of those bottles...
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When I worked at Shell Manuka (in the ACT), I was given permission to get the "empty" oil bottles out of the trash, and drain the dregs out of them. 2-3 litres per week was the yield.

Gave most of it to my neighbour.
 
I use an overnight drain into a container for each bottle used to get all the dregs out. It speeds the refill process during an oil change and I still get all the oil out of the bottle.
 
I chuck them out empty. I put my waste oil in 16 litre vegetable oil jugs as it makes it easier to dispose of. The hazardous waste site refused to accept my old oil bottles unless they were full so that makes me think they consolidate all the oil and toss the jugs afterwards.

Steve
 
quote:

We have single sort recycling in our city. It's the best thing since multi-weight oil. We recycle more then we trash, so it's hard when they only collect every other week. I fully drain all oil bottles and recycle. I'm not sure if this is wrong, but they are recyclable and I haven't seen them say you can't.

T-K, you must be TC metro area also as we have had single sort recycling for a few years now also. I know for a fact that in my city (Brooklyn Park), the contractor does not allow oil bottles to be recycled. The last time I changed oil, I placed the six empty bottles into the cardboard box they came in, and put the box on top of all my other recycling in the can. When I got home, the cardboard box was gone, but the six empty oil bottles were left in the bottom of the recycling can. Pretty clear message to me...
 
I checked out our local recycling center at the landfill and asked how/where disposed waste gets routed. The curbside recycle is for general post consumer stuff, (aluminum cans, newspaper, cereal boxes, plastic bottles etc.) no hazardous items taken. All of those things can be disposed of/recycled at the dump. Used oil goes into a large tank that goes to a reclamation center. Most of its contents end up as fuel oil for heating. Seperate containers to throw all the used oil bottles in. This gets sent to the same reclamation center which then "cooks" the bottles and dreg oil from the used oil tank into a slurry. This heated goo is then sent to the local asphalt facilities that mix it into foundation layers for roadways. Curiously, the "slurry" can't be mixed into a "top" coat of asphalt for concern that it could migrate into groundwater when it rains. They feel its "contained" enough in the bedding layers though. Still, pretty conscientous if you ask me. I'm happy to go along with the program.
 
I usually toss it in the trash along with any remaining oil in it...

OR shoot the bottles with my sniper rifle, they make great targets...

i realize this isn't politically correct and "our children" will have to deal with it. But then, OTOH, they need some issues to deal with....dont want them to have it TOO easy!!!

darrell
sin city
 
I used to work at a railway museum years ago and it took used motor oil to use as fuel for the steam locomotives, pouring it in the tender. When the boiler was cranked up they would get the empty oil bottles and chuck them in the firebox. They figured they were made from oil, so they should burn just as well. It was great fun to see the stream of oil spurt up from the feed pipe and catch fire in midair.
 
It's a cute product, but I place it in the "solution in search of a problem" category. I simply drain any quart bottles I have into a gallon oil jug that I reuse... overnight for each bottle. I often do this before an oil change.

To me that thing is just another gizmo that would take up valuable room in my garage... space which can be better used for more serious tools. If you're using THAT much oil that you need to buy this setup, you should be buying the gallon containers or bulk oil drums.
 
quote:

Originally posted by Bryanccfshr:
The city waste enough money on this feel good issue that is not effective in reducing waste and cost more to recover recycled materials than it produces. You want recycling to work? Make it profitable.

A properly setup recycling program can generate a profit. It does here in Baltimore Co.
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quote:

Originally posted by Kestas:
I simply drain any quart bottles I have into a gallon oil jug that I reuse

I was thinking I could just drain them right into the oil filler on my car, overnight. Just gotta disconnect the underhood light so it doesn't drain the battery...
 
Here I put the used oil bottles into the curbside recyling bin. I assume that they end up actually geing recycled, but who knows what really happens after it leaves the curb.

The recycling pickup people are pretty fussy and will remove things like aluminum foil from the recyling bin, so I would guess that if they didn't have something useful to do with the oil bottles they would be leaving them in front of my house like they do with anything else unacceptable.

John
 
I recycle mine; as far as I can tell there's no problem with it.

Long Beach's Residential Recycling Program page is here, and I don't see any prohibition on recycling used motor oil containers. Among the items they accept are "Plastic containers (#1 through #4)" - clicking on that item gives the following clarification:
quote:

Plastic

Include:

* Soda and water bottles
* Peanut butter jars
* Shampoo bottles
* Milk jugs
* Film plastic (grocery and dry cleaning bags)
* Narrow-neck bottles

Do not Include:

* Cottage cheese tubs
* Yogurt containers
* Margarine tubs
* Fast food containers
* Toys
* Garbage bags

The city will also accept used oil and filters, but I've never taken advantage of this. You have to schedule it in advance, and I find it much easier to just take it to the nearest Pep Boys or Kragen. That way I don't have to transfer the oil out of the pan-in-pan gadget into which I drain it from the vehicle.
 
my local recycling program accepts anything i toss in the big blue bin at the curb. they also pick up used motor oil at the curb.

I have personally seen a garbage dumpster catch on fire from used motor oil being dumped into it and it spontaniously combusting hours later!
 
I double checked all thier on-line information and it doesn't have anything that would even imply that they wouldn't take an empty oil bottle. Only used oil is not allowed. They've always taken it, and I don't see a real reason why they wouldn't. BTW it's Waste Managment.

-T
 
Depositing oil onto the ground is the biggest crime since...the dinosaurs. I place a lot of empties into our plastic. No instruction not to do it and it has the appropriate plastic recycling symbol on it.
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