Transmission oil and motor oil smoothen the vehicle’s operation and increase the vehicle’s longevity. After using these oils in the vehicle, it needs to be disposed of or recycled. But often, car owners don’t understand how to safely dispose of this waste oil or recycle it.
We often get questions like can gear oil be recycled with motor oil? Or how to dispose of antifreeze, oily rags, etc.
Can Gear Oil Be Recycled with Motor Oil?
According to the EPA, gear oil, motor oil, etc., are waste oil. The best method of disposing of such waste oil is to dispose them individually because when you mix motor oil and gear oil, it can become hazardous waste, and there will be no option to destroy them.
Why Is It Necessary to Recycle the Transmission Fluid?
Before jumping into the topic, you should know what transmission fluid is.
What is Transmission Fluid?
Transmission fluid or gear oil reduces the friction in the gearbox and enables a smoother gearshift. Usually, transmission fluid is green or red in color. But as time goes by, its color starts to shift from red or green to black or brown.
When you notice that the gear oil has turned brown or black, you should dump the used gear oil and add new transmission fluid.
Transmission fluid replacement interval depends on a few factors such as the transmission type of your vehicle, driving habit, vehicle type, etc.
If your vehicle has a manual transmission, you will require frequent transmission fluid replacement. Again, if you drive your vehicle in heavy traffic conditions, your vehicle’s transmission fluid will deteriorate faster, and you will need to change the transmission fluid more often.
Transmission Fluid Harms the Environment
Transmission fluid or gear oil is made from synthetic material or petroleum. It contains chemical agents such as anti-rust, anti-foaming, etc. These chemical additives are good for your vehicle transmission. However, when it comes to the environment, these chemical additives are very harmful.
For example, gear oil that is made from petroleum is flammable and, if not disposed of correctly, can cause disasters. Besides, these transmission fuels are not biodegradable. As a result, these oils will stay in the same condition for hundreds of years.
This is why used oil should be recycled separately or with other motor oil.
How to Recycle Gear Oil?
When used gear oil or transmission fluid is mixed with solvents or chemicals, it can be hazardous. Besides, if you dump the used gear oil in the sink, storm drain, or toilet, it can pollute the nearby water resource. Moreover, in the worst-case scenario, it can set your property on fire. This is why after using the transmission oil or gear oil, you should dispose of gear oil or other used automotive fluid at your nearby household hazardous waste facility.
Although the gear oil isn’t considered hazardous, still, you should send it to a nearby household hazardous waste center to keep your surroundings safe.
Usually, a household hazardous waste facility deals with substances that you cannot mix with the regular trash. For example, fluorescent lights, chemicals, paints, herbicides, pesticides, automotive oils or fluids, etc.
Before disposing of gear oil or transmission fluid to the nearby household hazardous waste facility, check their operating hours. Because some waste facility center operates 24×7 and others have certain operating hours. Also, check whether these waste facilities charge any fees for disposing of your trash.
Now, if you need to dispose of both motor oil and gear oil together, should you recycle them together?
No, because as I mentioned above, when it comes to recycling gear oil or any other automotive fluid, you must handle them individually. Because when you mix them together, there is every possibility of that mixture becoming a hazardous fluid. And in that case, you will have no option to destroy them. So, always dispose of or recycle the gear oil and motor oil separately.
How to Dispose of Antifreeze
As antifreeze has a sweet taste, it attracts animals to it. However, antifreeze is very toxic, and by licking it, animals will die. This is why you should never keep the antifreeze container open. Now, to dispose of the antifreeze, you can use your house drain if it is connected to the city wastewater treatment center.
Also, nowadays, almost all the gas stations take antifreeze from the vehicle owners. You can take the used antifreeze to these gas stations and recycle it.
Frequently Asked Questions about Recycling Gear Oil
While taking the used gear oil to the recycle facility center, you don’t want to spill the gear oil in your car. So, you will have to pour and carry the used gear oil into a leak-proof container. Besides, you can put the gear oil bottles in a large case. As a result, even if the bottle leaks, it won’t damage your car seats.
Again, if you are using your vehicle to transport the gear oil, ensure that the bottles are upright and you drive at a steady speed.
As I mentioned, you should always try to avoid mixing different types of automotive oil. Because when you mix transmission fluid, steering oil with motor or engine oil, it can create a hazardous fluid. During recycling, you should separate the oils and dispose of them individually.
Brake fluid contains flammable components and, if not handled properly, can cause havoc. That’s why during the disposing, put the brake oil in a separate container and transport it to the nearby hazardous waste facility for disposal or recycling.
You can use Quicksilver gear oil or Valvoline gear oil in your vehicle. These gear oils provide excellent thermal stability and help increase the longevity of the gearbox.
Conclusion
So, during the gear oil recycling, ensure that you separate each automotive fluid individually. You should always avoid mixing gear oil with motor oil for recycling. And for gear oil recycling, take the used gear oil to your nearby household hazardous waste treatment center.
Similar articles you might find interesting!
