Recycling your Oil Filter
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Chances are that if you are changing your motor oil, you are due to change your oil filter as well.
Each year California generates 67 million used automotive filters per year. The filters are considered hazardous waste and are banned from landfills, however, they are also completely recyclable. Each filter has about a pound of re-usable steel. All the filters sold annually in California can be recycled into 67 million pounds of steel, enough to build three large sports stadiums.
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In addition to recycling steel, it’s important to recycle oil filters because each oil filter has on average, more than 10 fluid ounces of used motor oil, even after draining! All of this trapped motor oil adds up to more than two million gallons of used oil going into the environment, the water system, or into landfills in California each year from filters that aren’t properly recycled. Oil recovered from the recycled filters is made back into motor oil, closing the loop.
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Steps to Recycling Oil Filters
The following steps show you how to recycle your used oil filter. By following these directions, you'll recycle more of your motor oil, and the oil filter will be recycled into a new steel product. Used oil filters are recycled into new steel products like cans, cars, appliances and construction materials.
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Step 1: Remove the filter from the engine to "hot-drain" it while the engine is still warm. Hot draining is defined as draining the oil filter at or near engine operating temperature but above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. WARNING: Use extreme caution when hot-draining filters to avoid burns
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Step 2: Using a tool such as a screwdriver, carefully puncture the dome end of the filter. Then, turn the filter upside down so it can drain completely into your container for used oil recycling. Allow the filter to drain overnight (or a minimum of 12 hours) to remove all the oil.
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Step 3: Place in a zip lock bag and make sure to seal completely to avoid oil drips. Recycle used oil and drained oil filters with your local garbage company’s curbside collection program, at a certified collection center, or Household Hazardous Waste facility. Search the CalRecycle page or call 1800-CLEANUP for more information on used oil recycle and recycling locations near you.