Whether cooking or motor oil, dumping waste oil down sinks or toilets can damage plumbing and cause sewer backups. Instead, call Waste Oil Disposal Perth to dispose of oils and greases properly.
Note that trade effluent is classified as hazardous/special waste and needs to be stored separately. Discharging it without a permit or agreement can contaminate water or soil.
Cooking oil is the grease used to fry foods like chicken wings, french fries, or a veggie burger. Whether it’s used once or re-used several times, cooking oil eventually needs to be disposed of properly. The wrong disposal methods can cause harm to the environment and attract unwanted pests like rodents and flies.
It’s never a good idea to pour used cooking oil down the sink or toilet. Grease wreaks havoc on drains and can cause serious problems to the local sewer system. It can also combine with other products that shouldn’t be flushed – such as wet wipes and plastic items – to form congealed clumps of greasy waste known as fatbergs.
Luckily, there are plenty of eco-friendly ways to dispose of waste oil. Restaurants and supermarkets can often recycle their discarded cooking oil through local recycling centers. Just be sure to let the oil cool down before throwing it away in a plastic trash bag or container.
You can also use a food-grade storage tank for your cooking oil to avoid spilling and leaking in the garbage. Just make sure the tank is leak-proof, has a lid that can be closed securely, and is made of sturdy material to ensure it doesn’t spring leaks in transit. It’s also a good idea to keep your cooking oil in the freezer until you’re ready to throw it away. This will make it solid and easier to transport.
Whether home mechanics dump used motor oil down drains or car drivers spring an oil leak while shuttling kids to soccer practice, waste oil gets into our waterways and pollutes drinking sources. Because of this, motor oil has to be carefully handled and disposed of to avoid the environmental consequences that could follow. The Environmental Protection Agency has numerous laws concerning the disposal of this material, and state regulations are often even stricter.
When storing used motor oil, it must be kept in an airtight container that can be sealed tight. It should not be stored with any other liquids, especially antifreeze and brake fluids. It should also be stored in a container that has never held chemicals or paint, and it should be clearly labeled as waste oil.
If you have a small amount of waste motor oil, you can dispose of it with your household trash as long as it has been well drained. You can also take it to an auto repair or quick lube shop that accepts waste oils for recycling. This is a great option for those who regularly change their own vehicle’s oil. The used oil is combined with other wastes to be re-refined into lubricating oil, and it requires less energy than refining from crude oil. This process can even be used as heating fuel for industrial furnaces and electric generating stations.
Hydraulic oil is a liquid used to transmit power in hydraulic machinery and equipment. It also lubricates and cools these systems, making them more efficient to use and extend their life. Like engine oil, hydraulic fluid can become contaminated with dirt and debris over time. This debris can make the oil less effective as a lubricant and cause damage to the equipment.
Reclaimed hydraulic oil must be thoroughly filtered before being used in a system. This step is important because the smallest particles of open air can contaminate the oil. Also, mixing engine and hydraulic oils can cause the lubricant to become contaminated with metal shavings and other contaminants that will affect its performance.
Because hydraulic machines are often pressurized, any oil leaks or sprays could be fire hazards. Hydraulic fluid with high water content and low flammability characteristics can help to reduce these risks. These types of fluids typically contain at least 90% water, reducing the risk of ignition.
Some hydraulic fluids are made from biodegradable materials such as rapeseed and other vegetable oils. These are usually a better choice when the hydraulic equipment is located near an environmentally sensitive area where spills or leaks may impact the environment. These hydraulic fluids can also help to cut costs by eliminating the need for costly replacement fluids. An additional benefit of using biodegradable hydraulic oil is that it can be reclaimed and recycled at the end of its useful life.
Gear oil is a special lubricant used to protect the manual transmission system in your vehicle. Inadequate lubrication can result in high friction and heat, which can damage the system. Gear oil can help keep the transmission running smoothly, which will save you from the hassle and cost of costly repairs.
A good gear oil can also provide a high level of protection in extreme temperatures. It must be thermally stable, which means it must resist thickening at high temperatures and thinning at low temperatures. It must also have anti-wear properties, which can prevent the friction that causes mechanical component wear. It should also have anti-corrosion properties, which can prevent rust and corrosion. It should also have shear stability and be non-foaming.
One type of gear oil is formulated with an additive package designed to meet specific applications in heavy industrial machinery. It can be used to protect equipment from the effects of high temperatures, contaminants and heavy loads. It also offers outstanding extreme-pressure properties and excellent oxidation resistance. Another type of gear oil is formulated to protect equipment from the effects of shock loads and vibrations. It can be used in air compressors, vacuum pumps, hydraulic systems and roll mill bearings in the textile, plastic, rubber and paper industries. Multilec(r) Syn Industrial Oil is a good example of this type of gear oil. It is a versatile synthetic oil that works well in enclosed gear drives with circulation or splash lubrication systems. It is NSF H1 registered for incidental food contact and provides outstanding resistance to rust and corrosion. It also has shear stable polymeric tackifiers and a shear-stabilizing impact-resistant additive.
Transmission oil is the lubricant that keeps automatic transmissions running smoothly. The fluid also acts as a heat-transfer agent to prevent overheating of the transmission, which can damage the system. During normal use, transmission oil can degrade due to the friction between moving parts, heat generated from transferring force and contamination from environmental sources. If the fluid becomes contaminated or low, it can cause the transmission to shift erratically or stall.
When draining your old transmission fluid, make sure that the container you use is clean and designed for the purpose of collecting the liquid. This will help prevent contaminating the oil with other substances that may be harmful to the environment. Also, make sure that your tools are clean and free of residue before using them to collect the liquid. This will avoid introducing pollutants into the used oil that can make it unsuitable for recycling or disposal.
After draining the fluid, store it in a leak-proof plastic container or jug with a screw-on lid. You can also take it to your local automotive fluid collection site to have it recycled. Many auto parts stores will be happy to take the fluid for you, as they can make money from selling it to recycling centers. Check with your local government offices to find a household hazardous waste facility near you that accepts automotive fluids. If the fluid is deemed to be hazardous, it must be managed in accordance with Hazardous Waste Regulations.
While debate rages over the need for energy independence or environmental impacts of oil drilling, thousands of gallons of run-of-the-mill engine and petroleum-based lubricants are used and then discarded every day. Just 4 quarts of used motor oil poured down storm drains can contaminate 1 million gallons of water, and this is just a small fraction of the waste oil generated. Motor oil contains toxic chemicals and heavy metals, which can pollute the environment if not properly disposed of.
The good news is that used motor oil can be recycled and re-refined into new engine oil. It can also be used to make heating oil, asphalt and other petroleum-based products.
When changing your car’s oil, use a large container with a sealable lid to collect the used fluid. Avoid using containers that held other automotive fluids or household chemicals like antifreeze, solvents and paint, which can leach into the oil. You can recycle your used motor oil by bringing it to an auto repair or quick-lube shop that accepts it. Most of these facilities may charge a small fee to recycle the oil. You can also find a recycling facility near you by checking the Earth 911 database.
Many garages have a barrel to collect used oil for recycling. Car and motorcycle workshops also have used-oil refining agents visiting once or twice a week to buy the oil. They sell it to oil refining plants, which process the oil and re-create it as high-quality engine oil.