Antifreeze ensures that the water in your engine and radiator does not freeze in cold weather or boil over when it is very hot. It can also be a lubricant for the moving part in your car that it contacts, for instance, the water pump. It is, therefore, essential for your car, but you need to change it regularly.
Changing the antifreeze, also known as coolant, is advisable every 30,000miles or every two years. You must flush your system and replace the coolant with fresh fluid to change it. The challenge is what to do with the used antifreeze from your car. Antifreeze is poisonous and can cause your kidneys to stop working if you ingest it. In addition, if improperly disposed of, it can pollute water and harm marine life.
It is essential to note that, when in your car, antifreeze becomes contaminated with fuel or lead, meaning you must dispose of it carefully. If you have just changed your antifreeze and are wondering what to do with the used antifreeze, here is a comprehensive guide on how to dispose of used antifreeze.
What should you do with antifreeze?
Antifreeze, as mentioned above, is an important fluid for your car but the waste antifreeze needs to be disposed of correctly to ensure environmental and human safety. If you have antifreeze waste in your home, here is a guide on what to do with it.
- Take your waste antifreeze to a service shop that accepts, treats, and provides full disposal of motor oil, antifreeze, and other used oils. These people can dispose of your antifreeze and ensure that it does not harm the environment or other human beings.
- Store your antifreeze separately, meaning do not mix old antifreeze with toxic antifreeze. Contaminated antifreeze may contain heavy metals and is regarded as hazardous waste. Only a facility authorized to handle hazardous waste can dispose of such antifreeze.
- If your antifreeze is tainted, find an appropriate facility and take your antifreeze there. However, your service shop can take it if it is not tainted.
- You can also give the old coolant to an antifreeze recycling facility. These facilities remove glycol from your used antifreeze and use an additive to make it reusable. Please do not give contaminated antifreeze to a recycling facility.
- Old antifreeze not tainted by lead or oils can be disposed of at a landfill. To dispose of antifreeze at a landfill, you must find one authorized to handle non-hazardous antifreeze. Such a landfill will have a tank designated for the disposal of antifreeze.
To check for contamination, use these tips.
- Used antifreeze contaminated with motor and transmission oil will be thick and milky brown.
- Several labs test for contamination of used antifreeze, but these tests can be expensive for small amounts of antifreeze. Instead, taking the used antifreeze to a recycling facility or service shop will save you money, as they can test it there.
These tests include Atomic Emissions Spectroscopy and physical tests. Physical tests check for certain antifreeze characteristics, such as chemical composition, while Atomic Emissions Spectroscopy checks for heavy metals.
When changing antifreeze in your car, it is essential to be careful and avoid spilling it on the ground. In addition, do not store it within reach of children or pets as antifreeze has a sweet smell and taste, and they might ingest it. Antifreeze can make your children sick and kill your pets. Follow these steps if you accidentally spill antifreeze when changing it out of your car at home.
- Start by ensuring that you wear high-quality protective gloves and have a mask on to ensure that you do not breathe in the antifreeze.
- Next, cover the spilled antifreeze with kitty litter, baking soda, sand, or another absorbent material.
- Use paper towels to cover the material you chose and allow it to sit for three hours.
- Next, wipe the absorbent material you chose with paper towels and put it in a garbage bag. Seal the bag and clean your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
- Thoroughly clean the area with soap and water and rinse with plenty of water.
- Finally, layer the area with paper towels or newspapers or allow it to air dry.
Can you pour antifreeze down the drain?
Please do not pour antifreeze down your drain, on the ground, or in water. Antifreeze is used in cars which can contaminate it with heavy metals like lead. Lead does not play any biological role in plants, and if water from your drain seeps into the ground, it could adversely affect plant life.
If you pour antifreeze into the water, it will affect marine life and even lead to the death of the fish. In addition, if the antifreeze from your drain seeps into the ground and drinking water, it will affect water quality, and people may get sick.
Additionally, do not pour antifreeze into your septic tank, as ethylene glycol in the antifreeze will adversely impact the working of your septic tank. In addition, ethylene glycol can kill the good bacteria in your septic tank.
How to dispose of a small amount of antifreeze?
It is best to take small amounts of antifreeze to recyclers in your area, a landfill, or a service shop that handles antifreeze disposal. Even in small amounts, antifreeze can impact water quality if poured down drains, septic tanks, or local waterways.
If you work with cars and have small amounts of old antifreeze in your shop, you can store it in containers within your facility. Ensure that your storage areas are out of reach of pets. Take the following precautions when storing used antifreeze within your home or business premises.
- Use containers in good condition made of metal or plastic to store the antifreeze.
- Ensure lids are always on the containers, except when removing or adding to the used antifreeze.
- Store hazardous and old antifreeze in separate containers.
- In addition, do not add chemicals, oils, or other liquids to the antifreeze, as that will make it non-recyclable.
- Finally, ensure that you place the containers on a non-porous concrete floor.
How do I dispose of antifreeze near me?
Every state has guidelines on how to correctly and safely dispose of antifreeze. Correct disposal ensures that you do not pollute soil and water. So, if you are searching for “how to dispose of antifreeze near me,” here are tips on how you can do that.
Take it to your local Walmart.
If you are looking for a way to dispose of antifreeze, some Walmarts will take it for recycling or disposal. However, since not all Walmart stores offer that service, contact your local Walmart customer service to determine whether they will take your used antifreeze.
Dispose coolant at Autozone
You can also dispose of coolant at your local Autozone shop. If you live in Texas, antifreeze disposal laws prohibit antifreeze disposal in solid waste landfills. However, there are several AutoZone stores where you can take your used antifreeze for correct disposal. You can also visit your local Autozone in Newyork to dispose of your used antifreeze.
Recycling centers, auto repair shops, and service stations
If you are looking for a way to dispose of your antifreeze in New York safely, consider going to a local recycling center, auto repair shop, or service station. They will take your used antifreeze and dispose of it safely.
Antifreeze is crucial to keep your car running effectively. It is, however, dangerous to ingest and negatively impacts the environment if improperly disposed of. It is, therefore, crucial to ensure that you use the above tips when disposing of your used antifreeze.