Antifreeze

Antifreeze can be deadly to pets, who will lick up spills. Be sure to keep antifreeze in closed containers and wipe up spills immediately. Consider having your antifreeze changed at your local service station, which is equipped to collect and store it for recycling. If you change your own antifreeze you may be able to take it to your local Household Hazardous Waste Collection site. Also, ask your local service station if they will accept used antifreeze from do-it-yourselfers for recycling. You may be charged a small fee.

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Automotive Batteries

Along with prohibiting disposal of lead acid batteries in landfills or incinerators, state law also requires that all vehicle battery retailers accept used lead-acid batteries at no charge from anyone purchasing a battery from them. If you have used batteries but aren’t purchasing a new one, retailers may charge up to $3 for each battery accepted and can refuse to accept more than two batteries a day from any one customer. Automotive battery cores are now worth more money because of the cost of lead. In some areas, retailers are paying the customers for their cores.

Wear safety goggles and gloves when you pick up a battery, and carry it in a wooden box or a leak-proof container. If you drop a battery, neutralize any spilled acid with baking soda or lime.

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Gasoline

Try to use up gasoline in snow blowers, lawn mowers and other small equipment before the end of the season. You may be able to bring old gasoline to your local Household Hazardous Waste Collection site.

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Motor Oil

Ask your local service station or oil change company if they will accept used motor oil from do-it-yourself oil changers for recycling. You may be charged a small fee.

Consider purchasing re-refined motor oil next time you change your oil. Modern re-refined oils pass the same quality and performance standards as do virgin oils; in fact, they are chemically identical. Ask your motor oil provider if they carry re-refined oil, and if they don’t, request that they start offering it.

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Oil Filters

Ask your local service stations or oil-change company if they will accept used motor oil filters from do-it-yourself oil changers. They may charge a fee for the service. If you are going to throw the oil filter in the trash, drain it first by punching a hole in the top and inverting it over your oil change pan to drain. Then plug the hole with paper towels, put the drained filter in the box the new filter came in, and place the box in the trash.

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Tires

Check with your municipality or hauler for special large trash or tire collections.

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Banned from Wisconsin landfills:

• Lead Acid Vehicle Batteries

• Waste oils*

• Tires*

*except when incinerated with energy recovery