What To Do With Used Motor Oil
While most experienced drivers may be familiar with how to properly discard their expired motor oil, novice drivers may not think twice about 
where their oil ends up after it’s swapped out. Recycling used motor oil is an extremely important step to take in order to keep the sludge from contaminating the surrounding environment. Jiffy Lube locations proudly recycle dirty motor oil after an oil change to ensure that nothing goes to waste and the environment remains unaffected. But just how bad can such a common liquid affect the environment where it’s discarded? And how exactly do institutions such as Jiffy Lube deal with the problem? Let’s take a closer look at this relatively unknown issue for the details.
Environmental Protection
You don’t have to be a genius to know that an oil leak in water can contaminate the environment around the spill, leading to a ton of problems for wildlife, human resourcing, and many more issues. But according to the EPA, if the water from a single oil change were to be misplaced improperly, it could contaminate 1 million gallons of fresh water. Such a mind-bending amount should rightfully scare anyone who cares for the drinking water supplies and the animals which would be affected by such harmful chemicals. Quantified in usable drinking water, that same amount of water contaminated by one oil change could supply up to 50 people per year with drinking water. With so many large-scale oil spills in recent history, the environment cannot handle much more abuse, therefore it’s imperative that companies take the recycling of outdated oil seriously, especially if they are in the automotive industry. Thankfully, when I receive an oil change near me, I know that Jiffy Lube practices the appropriate measures to recycle expired motor oil.
Oil Collection Centers
In the same ways that we can reuse water, plastic, and cardboard multiple times to reduce our carbon footprints, motor oil can be re-refined as well. The process of recycling motor oil is not only quite easy, but it saves thousands of dollars in the process because just one gallon of recycled oil can create 2.5 quarts of usable fresh oil. Compare that to the normal sourcing amount of 42 gallons of crude oil to produce the same 2.5 quarts, and we clearly see the benefits of recycling. The good news is that Jiffy Lube has designated certain locations as “oil collection centers” where they accept expired oil from individuals who bring containers in from their own personal oil changes. Then, they ship the nasty oil over to a facility for proper recycling. The recycled oils then go on to heat offices or residences, fuel power plants for electricity, and even be used for marine fuels. The last tip to keep in mind is to not forget about your oil filter. During the process of an oil change near me, I make sure that the oil filter is inspected for excessive residue buildup because up to 10 oz. of dormant oil may be trapped inside. If the filter is beyond its years, recycling is the next wise step to take. As you can see, discarding used motor oil is a big deal, but luckily the resources to properly remove and reuse such waste are available for us all.
