[chassis]

Because this site is filled with car enthusiasts, I am confident there will be many insightful replies!

I change my own oil, as I am sure all of you good car enthusiast DIYers do also.
Bottom drain, btw.

Seems like used oil return procedures are changing over the recent years, and not for the better. For the first few decades of my used oil return career, I would drop the box or plastic bag holding bottles of used oil, and wave goodbye to the desk attendant, both of us smiling.

Now it seems the desk staff can't be bothered with the used oil, and the consumer is shown "to the back" where a large tank is located into which the consumer (you and me) pours his/her own used oil into. A hand-scribbled sign taped near the tank in my local parts store says, "Don't leave your containers!"

What gives? Is this normal policy these days? Is the policy set by corporate (AutoZone, etc.), or is this an example of people being lazy on a store-by-store basis?

Please let me know your experiences. Either I am using the wrong retail parts outlet, or times are changing.

[rbryantaz]

I have had to dump the oil for quite a while now. I also got a "make sure to take your containers with you" last week.

They also get very upset if there is any water/coolant/etc in the oil. I have also had some short interrogations before dumping. I also put cooking oil in with the oil which perhaps I shouldn't....

-Rich

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

I go to my city's disposable center for everything really. They take the containers, filters, mixed oils, etc for free.

[Minacious]

This thread is very timely, as I just dealt with this very thing this past weekend.

In the past I could drop off a box full of old oil, coolant, or brake fluid and it was never an issue or point of discussion. I'd leave the box by the counter, get a "have a nice day" from the lad or lady behind the counter, and be on my way.

On Saturday I went to drop off some old oil and coolant at an Autozone and was told they now only take oil and to pour the other fluids down the drain. I laughed and asked what changed, to only be told it's their new policy.

I then went to a Pepboys and was essentially told the same thing, save for the pouring the other fluids down the drain, but add the limit of 30 quarts per customer and the need to take them to the garage area. I gave them everything and just left. They didn't seem to care what was actually in the bottles I left.

[bk_mike]

In NY any motor vehicle repair shop or retailer that sells oil over a certain amount must accept used oil by law. I once went into Mercedes Benz of Manhattan service with a 5 gallon jug of used oil. I don’t think they have many DIYers dropping off used oil there… they insisted it wasn’t a thing until I showed them the NYS DEC website.

[ZL9M2]

I have four 5 gallon fuel containers I use specifically for waste oil. When they are full I take them to the city's bulk drop off tank.

[Rich.Wolfson]

Originally Posted by chassis

Because this site is filled with car enthusiasts, I am confident there will be many insightful replies!
...
Seems like used oil return procedures are changing over the recent years...

Please let me know your experiences. Either I am using the wrong retail parts outlet, or times are changing.

I drop mine, as much as I have, at my local school system bus depot. They use it to heat their garages. And although mine is just oil, anything that goes is in turned into heat. I go when 2 of my 5 gallon containers are full.

And they are happy to get it.

///Rich

[a5m]

I only had the guy take me to the back once. Every other time they take it as soon as you walk up more or less. Guess it depends where you go, but my last oil change was summer last year. Maybe things changed since then. Chicago btw.

[M-technik-3]

I drop mine off at friends garage, he has a waste oil furnace.

[jmack]

At my local Vatozone, if I bring in normal quart and 5q containers, they take them right at the counter. If I come with in my truck's oil in a 5gal bucket, they make me dump it in the back myself.

[chad86tsi]

Never had to use store recycling, it's too easy here to just let the garbage service take them.

My city takes it curbside with my regular recycling and garbage service, but I have to transfer it into a clear plastic bottle (so they can see it's oil).

My last city required it to be in the original type bottles for curbside pickup. Thay also had a place where you could bring them in and dump, and no one watched how much, or even what you put in there.

[BGM-M3COMP]

Yes autozone now requires a limit of 15-20 quarts per visit to recycle. You can’t leave your containers and you have to leave your info.

I just give a phony name, phony number, and I go to multiple locations to exceed the limit for recycle.

[///MPhatic]

I take the oil to my local O'Riley's auto parts. I have to take it to the back and pour it in myself, which has always been the case (I used to use Advanced Auto Parts, but they are OOB).

The weird thing is that these places no longer take brake fluid, which I have to take separately to my local Honda dealer for disposal (it's a favor).

The other weird thing is with used batteries. I used to be able to drop them off at Best Buy, but now I have to take them to Ellis Battery for disposal.

And get this, if you call Best Buy they suggest you THROW YOUR USED BATTERIES IN THE TRASH.

I mean, what year is this again?

We do have a once-a-year oil/gas/batteries/weird stuff that we can drive through our local park in a HUGE train of cars to get rid of, but I'm not doing that.

[No Boost]

Originally Posted by chassis

people being lazy on a store-by-store basis?

This. The typical widespread work ethic is deep down the shitter.

[Piper1]

Originally Posted by No Boost

This. The typical widespread work ethic is deep down the shitter.

I had a post I deleted to make it easier to edit from this mornings outing. Dropped off 5 5qt jugs at oreilly today.

When covid hit a lot of retail in general went more self serve. The grocery by me went to 80% self check out lanes in the last few years as an example. The oreilly I go to by me was no different in take your jugs to dump yourself. Pre covid they took them back and always took your containers with you. But today they took them for me back. If you’ve never worked retail or service industry you just don’t know. It’s based on lazy self absorbed A holes that don’t cover when coughing, sneezing, or washing their hands after wiping their ass. Every where in the service industry with covid it’s as minimal contact as possible. Even dive dinners have QR codes to scan for menus so customers don’t have to deal with other customers bs let alone wait staff hundreds of times a day.

Sick days/pay in retail is a joke. I worked for bass pro for 13 years and you were shunned getting sick. You had your first day off 0 pay and only 3/4 pay/day of your scheduled days. So if you’re sick 2 days at 40hrs/week you get paid 6hrs of 16hrs missed. You could use your entire allotted year worth of sick days with being out with covid once. Less contact is to save the whole of humanity from itself. Who knows.

I’ve got plenty of story’s to tell about the lazy and entitled, from my wife having a hard cover book thrown at, hitting her during liquidation of boarders books and music when she worked there because they wanted it cheaper, (liquidators set the prices at that point not the store going out of business or the employees soon to be unemployed) to being at bass pro in the first thanksgiving they were open to tell customers no you can’t get the Black Friday deals on Thursday. Literally the guy said “what I have to read” to my simple answer of yes. To having a gun pointed at me because I didn’t price match that said gun from a wholesaler to later have management sell him the gun to make the sale, not that I chose to sell guns always been an archery guy but how I was on the gun counter is a much longer drama story but was a big reason I decided to get out of firearm sales. Now I’m not saying that there aren’t lazy A hole employees in retail too, or good/or A hole management, nor am I saying all customers are A holes, quite the contrary from when I had my bagpipe business I met a ton of great people on that endeavor and still talk to former customers that have become life long friends, but have to come to the realization that after all we're in a proctologist dream of wall to wall A holes in this world.

With that long rant I’m sorry but do understand that it may or may not be laziness, it may not be the best time for that individual just as if you’re having a bad day yourself. When I tore my lower bicep at work was the shittiest cause I couldn’t pick up my kid on his 2nd birthday, who knows maybe that clerk was working through an injury like that. You just never know.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by Piper1

Sick days/pay in retail is a joke. I worked for bass pro for 13 years and you were shunned getting sick. You had your first day off 0 pay and only 3/4 pay/day of your scheduled days. So if you’re sick 2 days at 40hrs/week you get paid 6hrs of 16hrs missed. You could use your entire allotted year worth of sick days with being out with covid once. Less contact is to save the whole of humanity from itself. Who knows.

Exactly. People wonder why no one wants to work shitty conditions minimum/low wage jobs that the wage is so bad you can't even live off of it. It's not rocket science. I'm lucky enough to have a good job and got a good spawn in life and not face that but I definitely understand if I were in their shoes. Even I can barely afford a house now with a proper salary it's getting really bad.

[Reborn_]

I’ve also noticed it’s gotten “harder.” Have been asked to dump it myself but it seems to be random. Was never a thing prior to a few years ago. They never took other fluids around here. The whole sign in thing is every time now. Also new as of a few years ago. I also put bullshit info. Not sure what the point is. I wish it was easier to recycle other fluids (brake, coolant).

[chowser51]

I usually ship mine back to FCP for a credit.

But the local Autozone makes you pour it into a drum and you're supposed to take your containers with you. For the oil I don't buy from FCP, I just take it to work and give it to the service department and they deal with it.

[Autoregression]

I take mine to a local AutoZone where they ask you to DIY it into their container and take your empties with you.

It's no big deal. I just chuck any empties I'm not keeping into their parking lot garbage can.

[bosstones]

I have a 5 gallon container that I dump my used oil into. Oil goes from drain pan straight into it and I don't mind bringing it back with me since I re-use it anyways.

I also don't mind dumping the oil into a recycle trap myself. It's either I do that or I wait for the employee to do it. At least doing it myself keeps me from being bored while I wait.

[tdott]

AutoZone is the easiest drop of for me. They have a cart sitting next to the cash, walk in place jugs on cart, walk out.

Ymmv based on location.

[M5Rick]

if I have some old oil I leave the container at my local dump next to the oil tank.