Changing your own oil leaves you with four or five litres of black, used engine oil. It is classed as hazardous waste, it is illegal to pour it down a drain or onto the ground, and one litre can pollute a million litres of water. The good news is that getting rid of it properly is free and takes five minutes.
Step 1: Store it safely
The simplest container is the empty bottle the new oil came in. Use a funnel, fill it from the drain pan, screw the cap on tightly and wipe the outside. Do not mix the oil with anything else: no brake fluid, coolant, petrol or white spirit. Mixed waste cannot be recycled and some sites will refuse it.
Keep the bottle upright in the boot in a tray or a cardboard box in case it leaks.
Step 2: Take it to a recycling centre
Every council household waste recycling centre (the tip) has an oil bank, and disposal is free for householders. Check your council's website for opening hours and whether you need to book a slot; many do. There is usually a separate tank for engine oil, so do not put it in the cooking oil one.
If you are not near a tip, the Oil Bank Line (oilbankline.org.uk) lists the nearest oil bank by postcode. Some independent garages will also take a few litres from a regular customer if you ask nicely, but they are not obliged to.
What about the old oil filter?
Let the old filter drain upside down into the pan overnight, then put it in a plastic bag. Most recycling centres accept used filters in the same oil area or in a scrap metal skip; ask the attendant. The empty oil bottle, once you have emptied the used oil into the tank, goes in the plastics skip.
Do not do these
- Pour it down a drain, sink or toilet, or onto soil. It is an offence under the Environmental Protection Act and water companies prosecute.
- Put it in household rubbish or recycling bins.
- Burn it in a garden incinerator or a stove not designed for waste oil.
- Store it in a drinks bottle. Someone may drink it.
Make it a habit
Plan the trip to the tip for the same day as the oil change so the bottle does not sit in the garage for months. If you service two or three cars in the family, you can take them all together; most councils allow up to five litres or so per visit without questions, and more if you ask.
Tidy-up tips
- Cat litter or sawdust soaks up spills on the drive. Sweep it up and bag it for the general waste.
- Washing-up liquid and warm water shift oil from hands and tools; a bar of mechanics' soap is better still.
- Keep a dedicated drain pan with a lid so you can leave the oil to settle before pouring.
Get the right parts for your car
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