There are many reasons to recycle used oil and oil filters, including the conservation of our natural resources and protection of human health and our environment. Used oil filters contain steel as well as used motor oil, both of which can be recycled. It requires more energy to mine ore for the production of new steel than it does to recycle used steel. One oil filter has approximately one pound of steel that can be recycled into a new product. In fact, in the U.S. all steel is composed of recycled steel scraps! Recycled used oil, on the other hand, is refined into fuel oil, conserving oil resources and promoting American energy independence.

In addition to conserving natural reserves, recycling used oil and oil filters protects human health and our environment. When used oil is poured on the ground or down the sink, our streams, rivers, lakes, ocean, and groundwater are contaminated with many different toxins and heavy metals including arsenic, cadmium, chlorides, chlorinated compounds, chromium, and lead. It only takes one gallon of used oil to contaminate one million gallons of drinking water! Dumping used oil down drains or storm drains can have effects similar to those of an oil spill because used oil can stick to aquatic life, resulting in injury and even death.

The City of Oceanside, in partnership with the Solana Center for Environmental Innovation, is hosting several Used Oil Filter Exchange Events. During these events residents of Oceanside can bring their used oil filters and exchange them for a FREE new oil filter of their choice. Residents are eligible to receive up to three FREE oil filters, receiving one new oil filter for each used oil filter they recycle. Dates, times, and locations of upcoming Used Oil Filter Exchange Events are listed below:

For any recycling questions please call the Oceanside Recycling Hotline at (760) 435-5015.

This program is funded by a grant from the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery.