Motor oil bottles and landfill bans

January 21, 2005

Dear Marti,

Is a #2 bottle that had motor oil in it recyclable? I hope it is. I’d hate to throw it away.

Thanks, Dori

Dear Dori,

Taking a risk that I shall henceforth be known as a dasher of hopes, I’m going to have to give you a “no” on this one. Motor oil residue has become one of the biggest contaminants for our plastics markets. The residue seeps into the porous plastic and cannot be removed through the washing process. Of course you should never try to rinse or wash a motor oil bottle yourself since motor oil down the sink or storm drain causes a much larger environmental crisis than a plastic bottle in the trash. The market representatives who take our plastics tell us a motor oil bottle in a pile of plastics could potentially contaminate a whole batch of otherwise-recyclable materials and cause the whole lot to be sent to the landfill. So, when you look at it, recycling a motor oil bottle would be the real dasher of hopes for all the other bottles that really wanted to be recycled.

To responsibly dispose of a motor oil bottle, make sure you let it drip into the engine so it’s as empty as possible and tightly reseal the lid before you toss it.

 

Dear Marti,

What is illegal to throw into the garbage in the state of Colorado?

Signed, Peter E.

 

Dear Peter,

Well, one might think that every state would have a whole list of things thou shalt not toss in the garbage, given that landfills are likely to leak over time and the toxic “leachate” that oozes out of them can contaminate local soils and groundwater. One might think that, but in the state of Colorado, one would be wrong. Here where we have a national reputation as one of the most beautiful states in the Union, we also have a reputation for lovin’ our landfills. It may be shocking to learn that if you’re a resident, you can pretty much toss anything you want in your garbage can. While it’s true that large businesses are subject to federal laws that prohibit sending materials like waste oil and car batteries to landfills for disposal, small businesses and private citizens are not included under those regulations.

Does the lack of state regulations make us unique? Yep—42 of our 50 states have taken the precautionary measure of keeping problematic items out of the landfill by passing legislation that bans them from landfills. Bans are a lot safer and cheaper than cleaning up contaminated groundwater, and they are important in protecting the health of trash collectors who are at risk of coming in contact with hazardous items.

Colorado is far behind our fellow states, but there is an effort underway to get us up to speed. The Colorado Association for Recycling (CAFR) is working to pass legislation that would ban tires, motor oil, and lead-acid batteries from being trashed. Of course many citizens are conscientious about taking extra care to dispose of these pollutants responsibly (and that surely includes anyone getting this far in this column), but take a tour of any landfill and you’ll see there are many who aren’t. Landfill bans ensure everyone’s participation. To learn more about the proposed legislation, go to www.cafr.org. To learn where you as the conscientious recycler can take these items, check out Eco-Cycle's Guide to Hard-to-Recycle Materials.

Posted January 2005