Does AutoZone Take Used Oil? (Charges, Tips, and More)

Do you want to explore AutoZone oil recycling services or learn how to dispose of motor oil? AutoZone has numerous reasons for handling oil recycling services. Read an article and learn how AutoZone Oil recycling works and how to dispose of motor oil.

There are different ways of managing the motor oil. However, a large percentage of car owners opt to handle their oil changes. This is because oil change is simple to manage, even if you are a newbie with DIY car maintenance skills. Changing your car oil saves you bucks and time.

Thus, it becomes necessary for car owners to learn how to dispose of car oil after changing. One of the methods to dispose of your car oil is recycling, which is an economical, sustainable, and perfect approach. You may be wondering if AutoZone offers oil recycling services.

Thus., let us find out what we got from our research and also go into detail to understand if AutoZone is among the reliable oil recycling centers or accepts used oils.

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Does Autozone Take Used Oil?

AutoZone, at the moment, not only uses motor oil but also oil filters. Rather than disposing of the used motor oil and filters in the garbage, AutoZone insists that you can collect all the car oil in the container and give it for recycling.

AutoZone oil recycling helps reduce the impact of environmental pollution while using it to serve other purposes in life again. In fact, you can drop the used motor oils in a container at any AutoZone store, which is exclusively free. AutoZone is one of the recycling centers that aims to remain sustainable.

Therefore, if you are interested in learning more about AutoZone oil recycling, charges, tips, and how they are using used motor oil, keep reading our article to the end. We will share all you need to know in the next section based on the research results.

Autozone Used Oil Recycling Services

Many people online are asking if they can return the used oil to AutoZone stores. Therefore, through the AutoZone recycling program, the company accepts motor oils used by the owners. The statistics indicate that AutoZone recycled about 13.8 gallons of used oil in 2023. Additionally, they recorded a stunning over 220,000 tons of used or old batteries.

Thus, with the old used motor oil, you can present it to the nearest AutoZone store, which depends on your proximity. But first, I recommend that you confirm the state laws. This is because there are some state laws which have come up with strict guidelines that prohibit auto parts stores from taking used oil to recycle. After that, make sure that the motor oil you use is packaged in the relevant container and that it is never mixed with any other contents.

Currently, AutoZone has over 6000 stores in the USA. Thus, based on your location, there is a high chance of finding a place close to your locality that accepts old oil through the recycling program. It is also good to call and confirm if the nearest AutoZone recycles old oil. You can present the old oil to any AutoZone store regardless of whether you purchased it from another store.

Autozone Old Oil Recycling Service Charges

AutoZone oil recycling service is exclusively free. Once you deliver the old oil to the nearest AutoZone store, the company will not charge you anything at all.

If you have replaced or retrieved the old oil from your vehicle, you can locate the closest AutoZone store to present it there. But one thing we will insist on is paying attention to the limits of how much oil you can recycle per day based on the particular AutoZone store. Still, it would help if you did not take the old AutoZone oil that is contaminated because the company can easily detect and turn it away.

There are rare cases when a customer is entitled to get the redeemable voucher at the AutoZone stores when they present the old motor oil to the participating store location. If you need one, then before presenting contacts, ask them if they have any active lucrative deals for customers who are dropping old oils for recycling programs.

Autozone Oil Recycling Program Limitations

As mentioned in the first section, there are some states that, through their state and federal government, have particular sets of laws that limit the AutoZone stores or auto part companies when it comes to taking the old oil as well as the volume or quantity of the oil per day.

A good example is the state law that prohibits or limits auto parts to take up to 5 gallons of old oil per day through the oil recycling program. Thus, customers must respect the limitations or regulations when presenting the old oil to AutoZone. Here are the details，

Quantity Limitations: Customers are allowed to dispose of up to 5 gallons of used oil per visit.
Accepted Types of Used Oil: AutoZone accepts a wide range of used oil types, including engine oil, transmission fluid, hydraulic oil, and gear oil. However, the oil must be uncontaminated and free from any other substances to ensure it can be properly recycled.
Proper Packaging and Labeling Requirements: Customers must use sturdy, leak-proof containers specifically designed for holding used oil. The containers should be sealed tightly to prevent spills or leaks during transportation and clearly labeled as "Used Oil".
No Contaminated Oil: AutoZone does not accept motor oil that has been mixed with other fluids, such as washer fluid, gasoline, or water, as this makes the oil non-recyclable.
Documentation: Depending on the location, AutoZone may require customers to provide documentation such as proof of ownership or a disposal manifest to track the proper disposal of used oil.

How Autozone Stores Use Returned Old Oil and Oil Filters?

Rather than dumping motor oil to cause pollution, AutoZone is opting to collect it through recycling programs in large containers to get alternative products for other purposes.

The AutoZone statistics indicate that 2 and a half quarts of clean car oil demand about 42 gallons of crude oil during manufacturing or processing. But understand that pure oil can also be bought through gallons of recycled old oil.

In summary, AutoZone utilizes the old oil or collects it in their centers, then supplies it to the nearest processing plant to undergo remanufacturing to obtain fuel. There are different ways that AutoZone can repurpose the oil recycling program. Among these are as highlighted below:

1. Processing industrial fuel.

With the old oil AutoZone collects to repurpose and obtain the industrial fuel that the company utilizes in their delivery trucks. This is more economical compared to using clean oil. It thus saves costs and time.

2. Obtaining motor oil

Auitozone engages in oil recycling, and the collected old oil is processed to obtain fluid products and motor oils. These include products like antifreeze, transmission fluids, gear lubes, and hydraulic fluids. AutoZone plays a vital role in reducing dependency on highly-priced petroleum-based products.

To an extent, with the motor oil, customers can still use them as the brake fluid and grease. In fact, the company finds a way to utilize the oil to reduce environmental pollution while gaining more benefits in the business cycle.

3. Repurpose and sell

Other than selling to the processing plants and using it to obtain the motor oil, AutoZone still collects the old motor oil through their centers and takes it to their processing facility to separate and filter into different grades. Each grade is tested for not only contamination but also quality and then later sold.

As part of the repurposing, AutoZone also processes recycled oil to obtain the asphalt used in the construction of the parking lot and roads. Some use it as a fuel source to drive power plants. The same explains why customers must present clean oil without contamination to make it safe for recycling. If the collected oil doesn't meet the reining requirements, the company sells it to the dealers of livestock feeds as well as pet food.

There are many more cases in which AutoZone reuses the old motor oil. The company is trying hard to recycle waste and obtain possible usable materials. The oil is generally first filtered and then burned at a very high temperature through the industrial furnace to get the steam ideal to power many industrial plants and lorries.

On top of that, AutoZone features a strong oil recycling program, which even goes beyond recycling recyclable wastes like oil filters and batteries. Once done, the oil used is presented to the facility for conversation to get the fuel. At the same time, some AutoZone stores collect old batteries and oil filters to resell after that to other people or repurposing companies.

Autozone Used or Old Oil Recycling Guidelines

The process is very simple. In this section, we will highlight a few of the steps that AutoZone recommends their customers follow to collect and recycle the old oil from their motors.

First, they contain the oil. This is the first step that the company takes, and they ensure they capture all the oil. If you are at home or your workplace, then it is recommended that you lay down a tarp or plastic sheet on your working area to catch the oil draining from your vehicle.

Proceed by emptying the filter. In all your efforts, ensure you also include the oil filter. This is done by puncturing a hole, opening the filter dome and letting the oil drip into your pan. After that, seal the filter.

Then, prepare your used oil or Old oil for transportation. Transfer it from the drip pan to the right container, presuming that it is the right storage ready for transportation.

Make sure you store the used oil in a container that is cool and dry. Your oil should remain in a safer place before being handed over to the AutoZone stores close to your area.

Conclusion

AutoZone uses used or old motor oils and oil filters through its special oil recycling program. Therefore, we have seen that rather than disposing of your used oil to the environment, you can reduce the population by presenting it to the nearest AutoZone store, which is exclusively free of charge. Oil recycling helps preserve our planet Earth while obtaining other usable recyclable materials. Confirm with the AutoZone store whether state laws permit them to do so.