Does NAPA Take Used Oil? (Gas, Filters, or Antifreeze)
In the recycling era, it's always good to know that many auto parts stores help make it easy to recycle your used oil. Since they are in the business, they know the right people to take your used oil to. This system makes it easy on everyone as car owners only have a little amount and big companies want big amounts of oil.
Does NAPA take used oil? Yes, NAPA does take used oil and they have many locations throughout the country to help you get rid of used oil. All you have to do is go to their website and use their store locator to find one near you. then you just take your old oil and filter to the store for recycling.
To learn more about the Napa oil recycling program, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about so you can dispose of your used oil quickly and efficiently
Does NAPA Take Used Oil?
As you just read, yes it does but there is a catch to their recycling program. That catch is the same for NAPA as it is for all oil recycling centers. The oil must not be contaminated with gas, antifreeze, or other contaminants.
You are to bring pure used oil to the NAPA stores along with your oil filter. You should call your local NAPA or NAPA-related auto parts stores and ask them about where you need to go to drop off your old oil and what are their hours of operation.
Also, you should ask how much oil you can bring in at one time. Different recycling centers may have different capacity limits so check before you go there. If you do not have a NAPA auto parts store in your city or area, there may be another company owned by NAPA that accepts oil. Just call them up for the same details.
Always call first unless you have used their facility before and know their procedures. Make sure to use the proper containers to transport your oil so you do not get it rejected.
NAPA Auto Parts Oil Recycling
This is an easy recycling system you can participate in. The key is to make sure to get all the oil from your car when you drain the oil tank. Also, you should drain the oil filter separately as it can take some time for it to release up to 1 quart of oil it holds.
NAPA has said that it could take up to 24 hours for the filter to drain out all of its oil reserves. Once you have drained your oil, place it in resealable containers. If you still have the plastic oil containers that you used the last time to add new oil to your car, then those are acceptable to use for recycling.
If you do not, then you should not use milk cartons or jugs, juice containers, or other ones you have lying empty in the garage or basement. The other acceptable containers need to be made from polyethylene or other plastics that are approved for holding oil.
They also have to be able to be sealed for transportation to the NAPA store.
NAPA Oil Disposal Limit
From what we have been able to find out, 5 gallons seems to be the average limit for most recycling centers. That is actually a lot of oil since most cars only hold about 1 to 1 1/2 gallons of oil.
Some trucks will hold more so you may have to do some math to figure out if you have reached the limit or not. The wording in this limit is ‘at one time’. So you may have to make two trips on two different days to dispose of all your used oil.
Different recycling centers may have different limits as trucks are getting bigger and have bigger oil capacities. That means you may have more oil to dispose of than the limits allow.
Check with your local oil recycling centers or NAPA in your city to find out more details. That way you know for sure how much oil you can dispose of at one time.
Does NAPA Take Used Oil Filters?
Yes, Napa does take used oil filters and they have a simple procedure to follow in order to make it easier for you to dispose of old oil. NAPA will accept oil filters as long as they are packaged correctly and not contaminated with other products.
They say to drain the filter for up to 24 hours first. Filters can hold a lot of oil and it is slow to drain it through the inside paper-like material and get it all out. Then once the filter is free from oil, you need to put it in a plastic bag or a sealed container.
After you do that, you can take your old oil and filter to their drop-off center. There should be no charge for this service so when it is convenient for you and the center is open, just drop in and give them your oil. We cannot stress enough that the containers you use have to be approved for oil transportation and can be sealed tightly.
If you are not sure of the drop-off center’s hours, just call your nearest store and ask them.
Does NAPA Take Used Antifreeze?
From what we have been able to determine from our research, the EPA does not consider anti-freeze a hazardous material. That means that NAPA probably does not accept this liquid in its recycling program.
When we read their website, there was no mentioning of accepting anti-freeze at all. The only mention that liquid got was NOT to mix it in with your used oil. They will not accept contaminated oil so do not even try to mix the two.
The best advice we can give on this topic is for you to call your local waste management office and ask them what to do with old anti-freeze. There are limited outlets that change the oil on your car quickly that do accept it but NAPA is not one of them.
Many cities just ask you to dilute it very well, usually no less than 3 parts water to 1 part anti-freeze, and then dump it down the drain. BUT don’t take our word for it for your community. Call the city hall or municipal office and ask first before acting.
Does NAPA Take Old Gas?
Again, their website did not mention anything about recycling old gas and this may be a problem. Few recycling centers accept old gas. What does help alleviate this issue is that you can mix some new gas n with the old and still use it to power your vehicle.
Since gas is considered a hazardous chemical, you need to contact the hazardous waste management company in your city or town and find out about the regulations governing recycling old gas.
That is going to be your best source for the location of recycling centers, and what containers you should use. An old gas can that is government-approved will work but if you do not have one, check with the center to find alternatives.
Some people have said to talk to your local mechanic. They have lots of barrels and drums reserved for all the hazardous fluids they have to recycle. They may have one reserved for old gas and may be accommodating and let you dump yours in with theirs.
Does NAPA Take Used Coolant?
As far as we can ascertain, no they do not. They also do not take it when it is mixed in with your old oil. In fact, if there is coolant mixed in with your oil you will be directed to a different recycling center to dispose of it properly.
However, be advised that coolant is another name for anti-freeze or Freon. If you need to change your Freon, go to a car air conditioning service and have them do that for you. They have the necessary tools to handle the job right.
The best advice we can give you here is to make the right phone calls. Talk to your local NAPA store, your local air conditioning shops, and your city hall or waste management company.
They will have all the details you need to know along with all the regulations that need to be followed when you want to get rid of the old coolant.
Some Final Words
Recycling oil is a smart move as you are protecting the environment for your children and grandchildren. The drawback is that the regulations do not always make it easy to recycle old hazardous fluids from your vehicle.
NAPA is doing its part to help make recycling easier and you should give them a call to see how it is all done. Just follow the rules and you should be fine.
