The Importance of Recycling Used Motor Oil

The Importance of Recycling Used Motor Oil

By Lynne Mueller

 
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), used engine/motor oil is any petroleum-based or synthetic oil that has been used for vehicle lubrication. During normal use, it becomes contaminated with impurities such as dirt, metal scrapings, water or chemicals and in time, will no longer performs well and will need to be replaced.

Truths about engine oil: it never wears out it just gets dirty; it can be recycled repeatedly which reduces our dependence on foreign subsidies; when it's poured onto the ground or into storm drains can contaminate and pollute the soil, groundwater, streams, and rivers. Recycling reduces this pollution threat.

There are numerous oil recycling locations located nationwide. According to the American Petroleum Institute (API), over 600 million gallons of this lubricant is purchased each year. Over half of this amount (345 million gallons) is purchased by those that perform their own auto maintenance. If you are one of these folks, put the used fluid in a clean container with a lid and transport it to the nearest recycling center. If all the oil from those that accomplish thier own maintenance was recycled, it would provide enough recycled material for more than 50 million cars a year. Imagine how much that would reduce our dependence on foreign subsidies. If you choose to perform your own maintenance on your vehicle, you can have a positive impact on the environment by recycling any fluids.

If you pour your used oil on the ground, into a storm drain you are improperly disposing of your used motor oil. This used motor oil can pollute lakes, streams and water ways, and can also pollute our drinking water supply. A single quart of motor oil can contaminate up to 2,000,000 gallons of fresh water if it is not disposed of properly. According to the EPA, over 40% of our nation's oil pollution comes from the improper disposal of used motor oil.

The next time that you change your own oil, remember, you can make a difference by recycling the oil from your car, truck, motorcycle, boat, recreational vehicle or lawnmower. By dropping off your used motor oil at a recycling center, you can help protect the environment. Recycling your used motor oil keeps it out of our rivers, lakes, streams and even the ground water. In many cases, that means keeping it out of our drinking water, off our beaches, and away from wildlife. Recycling used oil can help to protect one of our most precious natural resources, clean drinking water.

Author: Lynne Mueller

Our Green Life Biz - http://www.ourgreenlifebiz.com

Renewable Energy Explained - http://www.renewableenergyexplained.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lynne_Mueller
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Michigan’s Auto Recycling Industry

Michigan’s Auto Recycling Industry

Author: Ronnie Tanner

Recycling automobiles is big business in the state of Michigan. Quite appropriate when you think of how much money has been made in manufacturing automobiles in this state. Not only is the automobile recycling business profitable, it turns out to be a necessity as well. Once a car has reached the end of its usefulness on the road, what is the process it goes through to be recycled and why is the recycling process so important? That’s what this article is about.

First, let us look at how an automobile ends up at auto recycling facility. This may occur several ways. An automobile may be involved in some type of collision and the insurance company may determine that the amount of money to repair the vehicle exceeds its value. In this scenario, once the owner has been compensated for the loss of the automobile, the insurance company takes possession of it. In order to recover some of the money they lost on the claim, the insurance company then sells the now salvage vehicle to an automobile recycling facility. Another way for an automobile to wind up at a recycling facility is for the owner to decide that the vehicle has out lived its usefulness, if the vehicle needs repairs that are again more costly than the worth of the vehicle then the individual can also sell it to an auto recycler. Some automobiles are simply abandoned by the owner on vacant lots or along the side of the road, in this case, the city may impound the vehicle and if it is not claimed then the automobile goes to an auto recycling facility. In this way, automobile recyclers provide a valuable service to the communities they serve. Instead of ugly eyesores that choke up empty fields and clog roadways, these vehicles are taking apart and the steel is recycled into new vehicles.

Once the automobile reaches the recycling facility it is drained of hazardous fluids and any dangerous materials are removed. It is then accessed for all the parts that are still in good working order. Once these parts have been removed, the remained of the vehicle is then flattened for removal to a scrap metal recycler. The shredder facility in turn prepares the metal for deliver to a furnace that melts it down so that it can be recycled into a new car or vehicle.

The Automotive Recyclers of Michigan reports that in Michigan and around the country, auto recyclers have acquired 4.7 million vehicles for the purpose of recycling. That is enough metal to create 13 million new cars and trucks. Talk about going green, auto recyclers in the state of Michigan were going green before the saying even existed.

It is clear these days that the automotive recyclers around Michigan are playing a vital role in making sure that our children and grandchildren have something more than just a landfill to inherent. Michigan automotive recyclers are hard at work protecting the environment and supporting responsible recycling.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/michigans-auto-recycling-industry-952365.html

About the Author:

Ronnie Tanner is a contributing writer at Michigan Junk Yards. He writes about Michigan junk yards, used Dodge engines and other industry specific topics.