Any tips on garage chemical disposal? Update - neighbor stopped by and took most of it!

"jminer" (jminer)
10/02/2020 at 17:35 • Filed to: None

Edit: Thanks Oppo - super helpful folks pointed me to a regional hazardous waste collection! You are all awesome!

2nd edit: Neighbor stopped by and took everything that I had in the driveway! Sometimes living in the sticks next to other hicks has a benefit. I’ll have to set more out as I finish going through the garage. He’s now rooting through the dumpster for scrap metal as well.

Original post:

As I’m moving across the country soon, I am going through my garage this week and I have way more motor oil, antifreeze, gear oil and aerosol solvents than I thought I did.

I’ve got this plus a cabinet full of things like brake clean, carb clean and pb blaster. I don’t feel like moving a bomb across the country next to my sofa.

The oil I know I can drop off a few gallons at a time at oreillys, autozone and so on but what about the Antifreeze and other stuff? I don’t want to put it in a landfill, but not sure what my options are.

Alternatively if you live near St Louis and want dozens of cans of brake clean, carb clean and penetrating oil come and get them.

DISCUSSION (61)

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:04

Can you call your local dump? They often have some c sort of pick up

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:05

People ‘round these parts just dump it all in a heap down a desolate country road. lol

Do you guys have recyclepedia type deal via your state or local government ?

Here you can go on the site and type in what you have and they tell you where to go.

Kinja'd!!!

Just Jeepin' > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:05

https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/street/refuse/recycle/HHW.cfm

ClassicDatsunDebate > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:06

Your local waste oil recycling joint should be able to handle it

onlytwowheels > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:06

https://www.hhwstl.com/

https://www.hhwstl.com/disposal

jminer > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
10/02/2020 at 13:07

Option a is what most folks do here too (for mattresses too) just wanting something a little nicer.

I’ll look for the recyclepedia type thing, that looks nice.

jminer > ClassicDatsunDebate
10/02/2020 at 13:07

Oreillys and such here only take motor oil, nothing else

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:08

In the crawlspace with the bones?

/s/

But, seriously, I think the EPA now requires ALL landfill facilities to have provision to take it.

ibRAD > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:08

My county has a hazardous waste drop off where you can take that stuff. Sometimes they even have a mobile event so you don’t have to drive as far.

They don’t take motor oil at the mobile one though so I’ve got 6-7 4 gallon jugs of old motor oil I’ll have to load into the trailer and take it down to the city one day. Not really looking forward to that.

For Sweden > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:08

They should also take coolant I think

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:09

mix it all up into a drum and enjoy the cocktail!

jminer > onlytwowheels
10/02/2020 at 13:09

This is perfect, thanks!

jminer > Just Jeepin'
10/02/2020 at 13:09

I feel like an idiot for not spending enough time googling this myself. Thanks!

DipodomysDeserti > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:10

Check your county for hazardous waste drop off. My county has 4-5 drop off dates a year. It’s free and they take everything. Do not put it in a landfill.

DasWauto > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:10

Have anything you need to burn? Two birds, one stone.

Seriously though, I think more auto parts store take that stuff and I’m not aware of limits for most of them (at least here in Canada, ymmv).

Zaphod's Heart of Gold > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:10

Around my area there is a landfill with hazardous material dropoff...I’ve dropped aerosol cans and a bucket of old gas there in the past, they have provisions for pretty much everything you would need. I expect other metro areas would have something similar

jminer > For Sweden
10/02/2020 at 13:11

I’ve tried to get auto stores to take coolant here before and they don’t.

jminer > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
10/02/2020 at 13:11

Ha!

jminer > ibRAD
10/02/2020 at 13:11

Yeah a couple others found Missouri public drop offs that I’ll use

jminer > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish
10/02/2020 at 13:13

Good to know. I don’t super-trust landfills around here. We have one not far away that is both on fire and has nuclear waste in it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Lake_Landfill

They say the fire isn’t near where the nuclear waste is, but I don’t trust it.

jminer > DasWauto
10/02/2020 at 13:14

That’s how I handle a can of stale gas - bonfire time :)

By me auto parts stores only take motor oil, but others here have found a public drop off for the stuff.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:15

I’m not sure why, but that honestly made me laugh out loud. It’s like the Simpsons episodes ar e now writing themselves.

ibRAD > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
10/02/2020 at 13:16

When I was a kid, my dad taught me that you just dump the old oil on any weeds growing in the driveway. We don’t do it like that anymore though!

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:17

Hey! It’s not like Times Beach was near by...

Oh. Hold that thought. Wait a minute.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:17

Autozone out here sure doesn’t. They also won’t take my oil sometimes-- “we’re full up”.

jminer > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish
10/02/2020 at 13:18

Same - I occasionally have to hit 3 or 4 places before one will take my oil.

jminer > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish
10/02/2020 at 13:19

LMAO!

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:20

This is how you get Godzilla

Urambo Tauro > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:20

Kinja'd!!!

ClassicDatsunDebate > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:20

We have gubment facilities up here. waitaminute...so do you :)

https://www.hhwstl.com/

jminer > BaconSandwich is tasty.
10/02/2020 at 13:21

It’s absolutely insane - you have to laugh or you just cry

subexpression > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:22

It’s our very own s uperfund site.

It’s on Google Maps, but it only has a 2.0 star rating out of 153 reviews.

jminer > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
10/02/2020 at 13:22

Yes, yes it is

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:23

Hey, that guy couldn’t figure out where to dispose of PCB laced oil... so he got creative! and made a buck while doing it.

(seriously, though, that ONE guy is largely responsible for getting the oil-recycling legislation on the books...)

jminer > Urambo Tauro
10/02/2020 at 13:23

Oh... that made me sad

This is also the explanation I got from many folks when inquiring how to dispose of old shotgun ammo. They told me to bury it. I asked ‘what about the lead shot?’ and they said don’t worry about it.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > subexpression
10/02/2020 at 13:23

Heh. Yeah. We live in a world where Superfund sites have Yelp ratings.

jminer > ClassicDatsunDebate
10/02/2020 at 13:24

Yeah others on the thread also pointed out how bad I am at using google...

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Urambo Tauro
10/02/2020 at 13:32

Oil comes out of the ground, you’re not polluting, you’re just putting it back.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:32

I mean yeah, but... where else would it end up? One way or another, it’s eventually going to be in the ground.

ClassicDatsunDebate > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:32

ClassicDatsunDebate > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
10/02/2020 at 13:35

Movies have taught me he will either turn into a mutant superhero...or a CHUD.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:35

fire

Mercedes Streeter > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:36

“Bury it” was seemingly the universal answer to any question involving “where do I put this unwanted thing?” until all sorts of crap was beginning to be detected in groundwater.

jminer > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
10/02/2020 at 13:40

This is the most fun answer. When I was young and dumb I used to shoot aerosol cans. It was very dangerous and fun.

For Sweden > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish
10/02/2020 at 13:40

Ice cream machine broke

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Urambo Tauro
10/02/2020 at 13:43

Jesus lol

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > For Sweden
10/02/2020 at 13:47

Ever notice that certain Asian restaurants are always next to veterinary clinics? Same. Thing.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:51

I’m in CA so we have a chemical was te center, it’s free and they do the right thing. I guess an oil drum fire is all you can do if there is no right way.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > jminer
10/02/2020 at 13:51

I’d do that, except I’m too cheap to shoot full ones. So I do boring empties

jminer > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)
10/02/2020 at 13:56

Others here found a regional recycling center for hazardous waste - Oppo is awesome!

Its not free, but I’d rather do that than ch uck it in the trash.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > jminer
10/02/2020 at 14:00

Yeah we have to pay for the dump but they don’t charge for the chemicals because people are so stupid and will dump shit rather than pay anything.

jminer > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)
10/02/2020 at 14:36

It’s $0 .90 per pound here which seems high but I’ll take it.

Most people here just chuck it in the trash.

MM54 > Urambo Tauro
10/02/2020 at 14:48

This is way easier than going down town to dump it in the river - thanks! I’ll just dig a pit in the landscaping behind the well head.

MM54 > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
10/02/2020 at 14:51

I like the ones where it’s out of whatever was in it, but still has pressure (or paint that clogged up the tube inside and is thus near-full but useless)

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > MM54
10/02/2020 at 15:36

Hmm... I’ve got a half-used 2x clearcoat can that will be useless by now...

I may have some fun

MM54 > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
10/02/2020 at 16:01

I may have once bought a $0.98 can of shaving cream solely for the purpose of shaking up and hurredly backing up and shooting it. Worth it.

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)
10/02/2020 at 17:41

Same in MN. Most counties have a disposal location where you can go dump out the contents, or just leave bottles.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > jminer
10/02/2020 at 17:48

Your update makes it sound like you live next to a meth head

MonkeePuzzle > jminer
10/02/2020 at 17:56

yay for neighbour! anything they save from your dumpster is less likely to end up in landfill too, so that’s awesome

jminer > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
10/02/2020 at 18:03

I do, many of them. I live in Jefferson County, Missour i which is affectionately known as ‘Metherson County’. For some time it was the county that produced the most meth in the US and lab explosions are a still fairly common occurrence .

A house 3 doors down had their garage catch fire in the middle of the night from this exactly...

jminer > MonkeePuzzle
10/02/2020 at 18:06

Definitely - The guy that took the oil/antifreeze/ solvents/brake fluid is a mechanic as well so it should see use.