01 June 2016

Protecting Gaia

Change the oil in your Dodge Ram truck with the Cummins Diesel engine and you'll end up with nearly two gallons of used motor oil in your receiving container.
Add to that container the used oil from two mowers and a garden tiller and like me, you may find you have a couple heavy containers full of yucky liquid.
I was under the impression the law today was such that I could take my used oil to any facility in the oil change business and they were required to accept my containers.
Where did I get that idea?
I was mistaken.


Jiffy Lube turned me down but suggested a business that "might" accept my oil for recycling.
My local tire store said "Yes, I'll take it for you", but it was obvious he wasn't happy about it.
"They used to pay me for this oil", he said. "Then they'd suck it out of my tank for free. Then they charged me $20", (this is a 300 gallon tank). "Now they're charging me $65."
This "green energy" business has, once again, turned out to be a pipe dream.

There ARE places that will accept used motor oil...
When I got home a quick internet search indicated both our local Auto Parts stores will still take it.
My question is, how long will that last?

Old tires.
Motor oil.
Old TV's, computers, microwaves and other electronics...
The "free lunch" idea here seems to be to just to take this stuff out in the country and dump it alongside a quiet country road.

(That's a joke... I KEEEEEEEED.)

6 comments:

Ed Bonderenka said...

I create a bonfire in the backyard with all the tree branches that fall, poor the oil on it and light.

Greybeard said...

I can do that here too, Ed. In fact, I use my old tires to start my bonfires here.
(Neighbors bring their tires to me sometimes to dispose of them in this fashion.)
You and I are lucky...
If we lived two miles South of our present geography, we'd be breaking the law to do this.

Old NFO said...

Yep, all that 'recycling' ain't free... and not making any money, so guess who gets hit? Us, the consumers trying to do the right thing! Sigh

Ed Bonderenka said...

Tires?

Greybeard said...

Yep.
Tires burn HOT.
Got a pile of really green trimmings?
Set a tire on top, light it off, and that stuff will soon be gone.
(It makes LOTS of neat, really black smoke too.)

mkquilts1965 said...

What about batteries - the sort we use at home like AAA, AA. C. D and lithium buttons batteries? We're supposed to be recycling them here in California but virtually NO ONE will take them. I have a large plastic bag of them; guess I'll have to throw them in the trash. I don't like that idea either. I think anyplace that sells them should also have to take them free for recycle. Ideas?