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Earth Day Awareness:

Recycling Your Motor Oil and Car Battery

     With Earth Day right around the corner (April 22), it's time to renew your practice of Earth-friendly habits, such as recycling used motor oil and old car batteries. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that Americans carelessly throw away enough used motor oil each year to fill 120 supertankers. Properly disposed of, motor oil can be refined into lubricants and processed for fuel oils. Unfortunately, dumped onto the ground, tossed in the trash where it ultimately ends up in landfills, and poured down storm sewers are the methods often used to dispose of used motor oil. Not only is this wasteful, it is harmful. Just one gallon of used oil has the potential to contaminate up to one million gallons of drinking water.
     Similarly, an old car battery's seemingly nonthreatening existence is greatly deceptive. Containing 18 pounds of lead and one pound of sulfuric acid, car batteries are highly corrosive and potentially hazardous to your household and your environment. Acid escaping through cracks can cause painful or disfiguring injuries to curious children or animals. Follow these tips to protect yourself and your environment.

To Recycle Used Oil

»Find a clean, leak-proof container with a screw top, such as the original motor oil containers, to hold the dirty oil. Whatever you use, make sure the container has a secure lid, and never use containers that have held household chemicals, such as bleach. Containers specifically designed to hold used motor oil can be purchased at automotive supply stores.
» After draining the oil from your vehicle's crankcase, pour the oil into the container and securely fasten the top.
»Label it clearly "used oil," and keep the oil out of reach of children and pets.

To Recycle Automotive Batteries

     "It requires a bit of extra effort, but recycling an old battery not only removes a risky situation from your home, it eliminates a pollutant and reduces waste," said Margaret Pittelkow, managing director, AAA Emergency Road Service. "Lead is one of the few metals that can be restored to its original state, and typically 90 percent of an automobile battery can be recycled and used to manufacture new batteries."
     Failed batteries can be returned to auto repair facilities or automotive parts stores that sell new batteries. Most AAA Approved Auto Repair facilities that sell new batteries also accept old batteries for recycling. NAPA Auto Parts Stores, which offer discounts to AAA members, will accept a worn-out battery when a new one is purchased.
     Studies show that recycling awareness is growing. In fact, approximately 95 percent of all batteries are recycled. Still, the five percent that are not recycled amounts to an estimated five million batteries. Over time, lead from discarded batteries accumulates and contaminates landfills, back yards, and water sources, becoming a significant environmental problem.
     The AAA Battery Service provides roadside battery testing and replacement, and plays a small role in the conservation of batteries because the convenient testing capabilities prevent the needless replacement of batteries that simply need recharging. The service also recycles a failed battery for every new battery that is sold, eliminating the possibility of improper disposal. In 2000, the AAA Battery Service has replaced and recycled more than 21,000 batteries nationwide.

To Locate Recycling Facilities

     For more information on collection/ recycling facilities in Colorado, contact the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) at 303-692-3320, or toll-free: 888-569-1831, ext. 3320. This number puts you in contact with the CDPHE's Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division, which provides details on collection sites and dates, as well as city and county contact phone numbers.
     Colorado Recycles also provides collection sites according to county. This can be found on their Web site at www.colorado-recycles.org or you may reach them by phone at 303-231-9972.
     Finally, "Earth's 911," a national 24-hour resource for community-specific environmental resources, including information on local oil recycling sites, is available by visiting their Web site: www.1800cleanup.org or phone toll-free: 800-CLEANUP (800-253-2687). A host of environmental resources are provided, including how to handle household hazardous waste and how to use more recycled materials in your everyday life.

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