What Can Be Recycled in Regular Car Maintenance?

Article summary

• Recycling your used motor oil at a local auto parts store prevents severe water contamination and protects vulnerable wildlife.
• Returning your old car batteries to retailers, repair shops or scrap metal recyclers keeps harmful lead and chemicals out of landfills.
• Dropping off your worn tires at a tire shop or county recycling center prevents dangerous toxic fires and allows facilities to turn the rubber into playground surfaces, mulch and road surface materials.

With Earth Day right around the corner, it’s a good time to think about the everyday habits that affect the environment—including routine car maintenance. Oil changes, battery replacements and tire swaps can create waste, but many of these materials can be recycled instead of thrown away. Knowing how to properly dispose of used motor oil, old batteries and worn tires can help reduce pollution while keeping your vehicle running smoothly.

How to recycle used motor oil

It may seem harmless, but pouring motor oil down the drain or on the ground can wreak havoc on the environment. According to the Used Oil Management Association (UOMA), one gallon of spilled motor oil can contaminate one million gallons of water. That’s the equivalent of a year’s supply of water for 50 people. UOMA also cites that used oil is the largest single source of water pollution in the United States. In addition to ruining water supplies, oil clogs sewers and is harmful to any wildlife that gets caught in it.

By recycling your oil, not only are you helping to protect your local aquifer and wildlife, but you are also heating homes, generating lubricating oil and allowing it to be re-refined into fresh oil. If you’re comfortable changing your own oil, here’s what you need to do to recycle the old oil.

• Catch all the old oil – Be sure to lay out a tarp to ensure any stray drops don’t seep into the ground. Use a drip pan with a built-in spout for ease of transfer.
• Use proper containers – Only use polyethylene or factory oil containers that can be properly sealed to store and transport the used oil.
• Avoid mixing fluids – If oil is mixed with wiper or brake fluid, it cannot be recycled.
• Recycle the filter – Oil filters contain oil and steel. Once the oil is drained, be sure to recycle the filter as well.
• Best places to recycle used motor oil – To recycle your used oil, stop by auto parts stores like NAPA Auto Parts, AutoZone and Advance Auto Parts. Establishments like these will ensure your oil is properly disposed of, so you don’t have to worry.

How and where to recycle your used car battery

It’s important to recycle a used car battery when it fails rather than throwing it in the trash. Lead-acid batteries contain recyclable materials and harmful chemicals that could create environmental issues if they end up in landfills. Because of this, most states require retailers to accept old batteries when you purchase a new one, making recycling both easy and convenient.

Where can I recycle car batteries?

Auto parts stores, repair shops, dealerships and scrap metal recyclers are the most common places to take your used battery. In many cases, you’ll even receive a small core charge refund for returning the old one. Once collected, the batteries are sent to certified recycling facilities, where the lead and plastics are safely processed and repurposed, effectively keeping hazardous waste out of landfills and reducing the need for new raw materials.

AAA performs millions of vehicle battery replacements annually and participates in a one-for-one recycling approach through its battery programs.

How and where to recycle your used tires

By design, tires are durable. They are meant to last thousands of miles of wear-and-tear before eventually needing to be replaced. Just tossing them in the trash isn’t going to cut it. They could take decades to break down in a landfill. They also pose a fire risk due to their heat retention, surface exposure and airflow. Tire fires burn for a long period of time, all the while releasing toxic fumes into the air. Additionally, decomposing tires release hazardous chemicals into the soil and water, leading to further contamination. Due to the environmental risks related to tire disposal, many states have strict regulations for how they can be discarded.

How can I recycle old tires?

To make recycling easy, most tire shops will dispose of your older tires after they install a fresh set, though they often charge a small disposal fee. Alternatively, many county recycling centers will take them off your hands for you.

When they are brought in for recycling, their internal metal bands are stripped out and melted down while the tires are shredded and treated with special chemicals meant to dissolve rubber granules. After being processed, most recycled tires live on as playground surfaces, rubber mulch and road construction materials.

You can make a difference

It’s the small actions done by the majority that make the largest impact. Recycling these items can have a huge impact on the environment. Doing so reduces pollution, prevents harmful chemicals from contaminating soil and water, and helps keep harmful fumes out of the atmosphere. Your choices today can impact everyone’s lives tomorrow.