How to deal with old oil from your car

Old oil is dangerous

We have all heard the claim that one liter of used oil can contaminate up to 1 million liters of freshwater, which could disrupt water supply for up to 50 years. This could have a major impact on especially poor communities’ health and ability to live a normal life. South Africa is a water-scares country and any contamination or pollution of a water source will be devastating.

Be Responsible

Old oil is exactly that. Old used oil that your car, truck, or even your lawnmower cannot use anymore.  If you are one of the many DIY mechanics who services their vehicles at home or if you are the owner of a private workshop there is a good chance that you have to be responsible for the disposal of your old oil.

Oil becomes old when through consistent normal usage impurities such as dirt, metal scraping, water, or chemicals can contaminate the oil and it no longer performs well.

When disposing of old oil some fundamentals must be considered1:

  1. Old oil is insoluble and persistent
  2. It may contain heavy metals and harmful toxins.
  3. It sticks to everything
  4. It is a major source of contamination and pollution.

Recycle, Re-use

The great news is that old oil never wears out, which means that old oil can be reused if it is run through a filter or cleaning process. This means that there are potentially many oil recycling businesses that can assist you to safely dispose of the old oil, transmission fluid, and even car batteries that might be building up in your workshop. Recycling should be the preferred way of managing old oil, so make sure you know how to get hold of your closest recycler. Remember to only use reputable and licensed recyclers.

There are some great benefits to recycling:

  1. It protects the environment
  2. Might keep water sources free from contamination
  3. It is a valuable resource that might be able to keep an SMME in business.
  4. You need less energy to produce a liter of oil from recycling than from raw crude

Be Responsible

Responsible management of old oil will go a long way to helping and protecting our environment. Pouring oil or old lubricants into the drain is dangerous and can cause major long-term environmental damage. Never try to burn or use old oil as fire starters. Here are some guidelines on what to do with old oil

  1. Drain oil into a clean tub
  2. Do not mix with other substances such as transmission oil
  3. Label the tub
  4. Store in a safe and cool place
  5. Keep free from water and other contaminants
  6. Store separately
  7. Recycle

SA Lube is committed to the responsible management of all lubricants and products that may be harmful to the environment. Together, with our partners Castrol and BP, we have put all measures in place to protect our environment.

SA Lube is Gautengs favorite Castrol distributor and serious about protecting our environment.

We offer a wide range of lubricants that can easily be purchased online at. www.salube.net

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Ref 1: www.epa.gov/recycle/managing-reusing-and-recycling-used-oil

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