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TEN YEARS OF RECYCLING MOTOR OIL CURBSIDE
by JANE BOGNER
SUNDAY, January 25, 2004

I’m always amazed at the things that I find when I tackle cleaning out a closet and find a box of goodies that I had forgotten. The same goes for cleaning out computer files. As I was reformatting columns that I had written ten years ago, I discovered that Vallejoans should be proud of their ongoing recycling efforts.

Ten years ago this month, Vallejo became the first city in Solano to provide curbside pickup of used motor oil.
I checked with Sara Gallegos-Ascencio, Vallejo Garbage Service’s Recycling Manager, to find out just how much oil has been recycled.

Sara reported that Vallejo recycles an average of 13,718 gallons of used motor oil each year totaling over 137,180 gallons since 1994. Evergreen Environmental Products, Inc. picks up the oil and transports it to its refinery facility in Newark. The oil is re-refined into new base oils and then sold to distributors, large retailers and repair facilities. VGS started collecting motor oil filters curbside on July 15, 2002. An average of 296 filters are collected each month. To date, 4,735 filters have been recycled. For more information about recycling oil and filters at curbside call 707/467-8248. If you live outside Vallejo, you can get recycling information by calling 1 800 CLEANUP.

It is really important to recycle used oil. It only takes one gallon of recycled oil to make 2.5 quarts of new motor oil compared to 42 gallons of crude oil to make the same amount. According to the American Petroleum Institute, oil does not wear out, it simply becomes dirty as it does its job.

Half of all Americans change their own oil but, unfortunately, they illegally dump eleven times more oil than was spilled by the Exxon tanker Valdez which is equivalent to 11 million gallons each year. Oil dumped in a storm drain flows directly into the Bay. Another way to think of the hazards of oil is that one gallon of oil can contaminate a year’s supply of fresh water for 50 people.

HOW TO RECYCLE MOTOR OIL AND FILTERS CURBSIDE

Vallejo Garbage Service provides one gallon containers for recycling used motor oil and custom zip lock bags for the filters. To get these supplies, call 707 467-8248. VGS will only pick up used motor oil in these containers because these containers are secure and fit into specially designed boxes on their garbage trucks.

Vallejo Garbage Service has made it easy for you to recycle motor oil. Just follow these steps:

Two gallons of used motor oil are allowed each week for residential pick-up. Drivers will replace the filled containers with empty ones.

It is very important not to mix any other automotive fluids with the motor oil. This will contaminate the entire load of oil and it will have to be disposed of as a hazardous waste. Used oil should never be dumped in a sewer, septic system, storm drain, backyard, street, or garbage can.

In addition to curbside motor oil pickup, you can take your used oil to a State Certified Used Oil Collection Center where they will refund your deposit of 16 cents for each gallon recycled. Vallejo has nine certified centers, call 707 467-8248 for current locations.

Vallejo Garbage Service operates a year-round drop off program for motor oil (20 gallon maximum), oil filters, antifreeze (5 gallons maximum), lead-acid/car batteries (5 maximum, no household batteries), and latex paint (five gallons maximum). Bring these items to 2021 Broadway Thursday through Saturday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.

CORRECTION: The New CRV bill listed in my previous column should have been Assembly Bill 28 (Jackson/Pavley).

VALCORE Recycling Vice President Jane Bogner's "A Sorted Affair" is published every other week in the Times-Herald, Community Outlook Section. For recycling information call Genie Kaggerud, VALCORE Recycling manager at 645-8258 or visit www.VALCORErecycling.org.

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