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Why Recycle?

Environmental Reasons: Every year an estimated 300 million gallons of used oil is improperly disposed of. When used oil is dumped on the ground, down storm sewers, or sent to landfills, it is capable of migrating into ground and surface waters. According to EPA studies, just one gallon of used oil can render one million gallons of water undrinkable. It is also a serious threat to plant and animal life. Marine species can be adversely affected by oil concentrations as low as 1 part per million. As well, an oil film on water blocks sunlight, making it harder for plants to photosynthesize. A loss of plant and animal life, while tragic in and of itself, also results in economic losses for recreation and fishing industries.

Public Health Reasons: When oil circulates through combustion engines it picks up a variety of contaminants. Engine heat can break down oil additives, producing acids and other substances. Dirt, rust and metal particles from the engine also find their way into oil. Exhaust gases and fluids like antifreeze can leak into oil during engine use. All of these substances increase the toxic nature of oil to humans. The common way contaminants enter the body is through ingestion of oil polluted water and through the breathing of fumes produced by improperly vented space heaters.

Economic Reasons: Oil is a valuable resource that is wasted when improperly disposed of. Used oil can be re-refined and used over and over again in combustion engines. It can also be burned as fuel, as long as proper procedures and equipment are used. Since oil is a non-renewable resource, it is inevitable that new supplies will become increasingly harder to find and more costly to extract in the future. Conservation of used oil now will give us more time to eventually develop alternative fuels. It will also lessen the dependence industrialized countries have on foreign oil supplies.

Legal Reasons: In the U.S., The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, holds any party creating or contributing to a hazardous waste site financially responsible for clean-up costs. These parties includes generators, transporters, service stations, collection centers, lube shops and retailers. Improper disposal of oil risks the possibility of enormous legal and clean-up fees.