Used Oil & Oil Filter Recycling

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Where to Recycle - Certified Collection Centers

The City of Oceanside has 18 Certified Collection Centers, where you can take your used oil and used oil filters to be recycled. Take a look at our list of Certified Collection Centers throughout the City of Oceanside here. Look for this sign:

Or, to locate a certified collection center close to your home or business call 1-800-CLEANUP or go to calrecycle.ca.gov

Why Recycling Used Oil and Filters is Important

Oceanside is a beach community with the great Pacific Ocean on our entire western border. We, the residents and businesses, must take care of our environment to maintain its health and beauty.

Used motor oil is a major pollutant in our local waters. In the United States, 40% of all pollution in our waterways is a result of used engine oil. Not only is this oil pollution widespread, but it is also dangerous! It only takes one gallon of used oil to contaminate one million gallons of drinking water with toxic contaminants like arsenic, lead, cadmium, zinc, barium and chromium.

The oil that drips from our cars can flow into our stormwater system. The pollution then flows, without treatment, directly to the San Luis Rey River and the Pacific Ocean.

Just one drop of oil will contaminate the water in our local harbor, and the ocean we swim and surf in.

Disposing of used oil and filters in the trash (even in a sealed container) still leads to the pollution of the soil, groundwater, streams and harbors.

It is also illegal.

New Driver's Responsibility

Taking care of your car, includes good maintenance, and changing your oil and filters according to the manufacturer’s recommendation. This also requires making sure your used oil and used oil filters are properly recycled.

In addition to CCC sites, you can recycle your used motor oil and oil filters by appointment at:

Waste Management’s HHW Facility

The facility is located at 2880 Industry Street.

To “Roll Responsibly” you will need to take contaminated used motor oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, coolant, power steering fluid, to Waste Management’s HHW Facility.

Oceanside residents can drop off their household hazardous waste twice a month, by appointment only. Call (760) 439-2824 for an appointment and be sure to bring proof of residency when you arrive.

Whether you change the oil yourself, or take it to a professional, make sure they are recycling the used oil and filter. This is assured at a Certified Collection Center site.

An additional action that will help our environment by reducing the consumption of natural resources is to purchase re-refined oil. Oil does not break down. The re-refining process cleans up the used oil and adds the needed additives.

Re-refined oil certified by the American Petroleum Institute (API) undergoes the same testing and meets the same quality standards as new oil. API-certified re-refined oil does not affect warranty coverage.