Can You Dispose of Used Motor Oil at Walmart?

Changing your motor oil yourself can save you money, but can you just take the used oil to a place like Walmart?

An oil change is a fairly simple bit of maintenance that applies to cars, trucks, motorhomes, and tow vehicles. The more difficult task seems to be finding a place to dispose of the oil.

You can’t just get rid of the motor oil anywhere, so what do you do with it? Can you just take to a place like Walmart, which not only sells oil but often has its own auto care center?

Let’s find out!

Why Can’t I Dispose of Motor Oil Just Anywhere? 

Motor oil is an environmental hazard, which is why we want to find out if Walmart would make it easy for us to dispose of our used oil. It can be dangerous to humans, plants, and animals alike.

Therefore, you can’t just throw it away anywhere. You need to dispose of it properly. It’s also insoluble, which means it can stick to things and degrades slowly.

Even a little oil can get into waterways and pollute drinking water with toxic chemicals and heavy metals.

Why Must Motor Oil Be Recycled?

You have to recycle used motor oil because it doesn’t break down or wear out. It simply gets dirtier and dirtier and harms everything from humans to wildlife to plants. Recycling used motor oil saves a valuable resource.

It takes less energy to re-refine used oil than to refine new oil from crude, which means we use fewer finite natural resources.

Will Walmart Take My Used Oil? 

Yes, Walmart will take used motor oil. However, it must be a Walmart with an automotive center.

You can take up to five gallons of motor oil to Walmart per person per day. It doesn’t have to be oil that you purchased at Walmart either.

They don’t accept other fluids, such as transmission or power steering fluid, so make sure the oil isn’t contaminated with other fluids. Walmart also accepts used oil filters.

How Much Does It Cost to Dispose of Motor Oil at Walmart? 

There’s no charge to dispose of used motor oil or oil filters at Walmart. You must simply adhere to the five gallons per person per day rule and ensure the oil isn’t contaminated with other fluids.

What Does Walmart Do with Old Oil?

Walmart recycles the used motor oil it collects. The used motor oil is re-refined and used to create lubricants, fuel oil, and other things. This helps us avoid tapping into our limited natural supply of crude.

What Other Places Take Used Oil? 

Many auto parts stores, such as AutoZone, Advance Auto Parts, and Pep Boys, also accept used motor oil. There’s also a handy website called Earth911.com, where you can search by zip code for locations to recycle motor oil, as well as other recyclable materials.

Recycling Responsibly: Doing Your Part for the Environment

Recycling used motor oil is just common sense. If we don’t recycle, we’ll eventually run out of finite resources like crude oil. This also connects to one of the golden rules of RVing: Leave no trace.

Dumping your oil irresponsibly leaves a massive stain on the environment. Next time you change your motor oil, bring it to a Walmart. It’s easy and free. What do you do with your used oil?

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