Disposal of Engine Oil Containers - what do you do ?

[green van man]

In Wales we lead the recycling tables, however, my council has no kerbside collection of glass, either take it to bottle bank or put in landfill.
While local recycle center, which is soon closing, will take waste engine oil, dirty containers and filters are hazardous waste and must be taken to a registered car dismantler, like they are going to take them.
Wonder why fly tipping is on the increase ?

Recycling is farmed out to commercial concerns and anything that cannot be sold on is not wanted. Until and unless we have a countrywide standard we will never get on top of the matter.

Paul.

[anotherv60]

Originally Posted by Lou Ferrigno

Thank you anotherV60 for the link to this site.
Unfortunately, this site suggests the Recycling Centre that I already use and says that an Oil Bank exists.

There is an Oil Bank but no facility for accepting containers and filters.

I have written to the Local Authority asking for advice regarding environmentally friendly disposal

Looking at other replies, perhaps I should relocate to Northamptonshire but WOW ! those house prices.

That is a real shame, perhaps it it worth emailing that association - I assume they should know what to do!!

Good Luck!

[Marty Dolomite]

Originally Posted by DaveNP

MK has the same system of a bin next to the oil tank. The oily plastic container can't be recycled as plastic due to the oil contamination but I believe there is a way to recycle plastic back into oil type products which would mean the contamination would just become a raw material.

What did we do with oil in the 60' and 70's? A lot of it went illegally down the drain at the side of the road and polluted rivers and streams, got buried in back gardens, or got burnt off in smoky bonfires. Aah the good old days.

in the 60s a lot of oil was tipped or buried in gravel oil traps as its base mineral oil it would have little effect on the environment or it was used as an underseal on cars.

[Marty Dolomite]

I tip my oil at work as we have an oil burner heater and the containers go in the commercial waste bin.

The oil burner costs £2000 a year for a waste burning licence.

[volvo always]

Originally Posted by Marty Dolomite

I tip my oil at work as we have an oil burner heater and the containers go in the commercial waste bin.

The oil burner costs £2000 a year for a waste burning licence.

Madness. Surely much better to the environment as using it for heating so why charge you 2k.

James

[anotherv60]

I wouldn't want to be around when its burning, if you notice the back of the engine oils are classified toxic and carcinogenic.

[volvoid]

oil cans always used to be steel, proper tin plate, so recycling was easy. Anywhere that took scrap metal was happy to add it to the cash pile. Rag&bone men were horse drawn, milk came on electric floats, some cars had seatbelts but few people wore them, half the population smoked, beer was 2/6 a pint, and if your boss was cheeky you could walk down the road and get another job.
So my dad tells me anyway.

[Grimble]

Apart from the acreage used, landfill is not as bad as some would have you believe. A properly constructed and managed landfill will generate gas which is captured and piped to engines which generate electricity for many years. The heat within the landfill accelerates the breaking down of the organic components, plus the landfill leachate should be treated to extract pollutants and even recover some valuable trace elements.
That saying, metal and glass shouldn't go to landfill at all.