Organizing a collection event for waste oil

Article icon

Abstract

Many communities, particularly in rural areas, have few options available to properly dispose of waste oil. A one-day collection event provides a relatively simple and economical way to recycle this potentially harmful material. "How to Organize a Collection Event for Waste Oil," includes information needed to organize and conduct a successful waste oil and oil filter collection day. This document was developed by The Nebraska Waste Oil Recycling Project, the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension, Keep Nebraska Beautiful, Nebraska Department of Economic Development, Nebraska Department of Administrative Services, and the Nebraska State Recycling Association.

Back to top

Issue

The mismanagement of waste oil is a serious environmental problem. 

Back to top

Action

According to the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, organizing a waste oil collection event includes the following steps:

Identify Collection Event participants:

  • Project Coordinator and volunteers
  • Collection site host
  • Oil recycling business
  • Participating public
Planning:
  • Select and evaluate a collection site
  • Select and contract a contractor
  • Assess financial resources
  • Determine date of collection
  • Select and train volunteers
  • Design site and determine operational requirements
  • Prepare a press kit
  • Final preparations
Promoting the Event:
  • Distribute promotional flyers and other printed literature
  • Submit a press release to a local paper
  • Submit a public service announement to a local radio station

(A sample press release and public service announcement are included in the source document.)

Collection Event Procedures:

Before Customers Arrive

  • Set up collection truck
  • Place "No Smoking" signs in visible locations
  • Have spill kits available on site

(The source document describes contents of a spill kit.)

When Customers Arrive

  • Have customers sign-in . This discourages attempts to dispose of contaminated oil. Each participant must register the amount of waste oil deposited.
  • To meet federal regulations, as well as for your own protection, have participants sign the "Residential/ Farm Source Verification" form which says that the waste oil brought in by an individual "do-it-yourselfer" is from a personal vehicle, or waste oil is generated from the maintenance of vehicles or machinery operated on a farm at an average of 25 gallons per month or less in a calendar year.
  • Query the person disposing of the waste oil. Does the container hold anything other than waste oil? Contaminants such as carburetor cleaners, gasoline, solvents, thinners, paints, varnishes, pesticides, and antifreeze are not acceptable.
  • Visually examine the oil. Look for water, paint chips, or any other signs of contamination.
  • Be sure oil recycling business personnel or other trained staff, not customers, pour the used oil into the collection tank. The tank should be staffed at all times during the collection.
  • Keep a record of how many gallons are collected. Keeping track of how many gallons are brought in by farmers and how many from "do-it-yourselfers" will identify where the most need is for future collection events, and can help to effectively plan and promote these events.
  • Return the customer's oil container, or offer to dispose of it properly.
  • Thank the customers for taking the time to recycle their waste oil in an environmentally sound manner.
(Instructions for how to deal with a spill notification are included in the guidance document at http://www.deq.state.ne.us/.)

Back to top

Context

In 1991, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated that only one-third of all the waste oil generated by do-it-yourselfers is being collected and recycled. That leaves a substantial amount of waste oil yet to be reclaimed. In addition, there are approximately 400 million used oil filters generated in the United States annually. Each used oil filter can contain up to a quart of used oil.

Back to top

Posted On

July 23, 2002

Back to top

For More Information

Mike Linder
Nebraska Department Of Environmental Quality
NDEQ Director
1200 "N" Street Suite 400 (or P.O. Box 98922)
Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone: (402) 471-2186
Fax: (402) 471-2909

Back to top

Source Documents

Related Practices

Back to top

Related sites

Topic Areas

Back to top