Used oil filters are recyclable because they’re made of steel, North A m e r i c a ’s number one recycled material. They are being recycled today into new steel products, such as cans, cars, appliances and construction materials. Recycling all the filters sold annually in the United States would result in the recovery of about 160,000 tons of steel, or enough steel to make 16 new stadiums the size of A t l a n t a ’s Olympic Stadium.

Federal Guidelines for Used Oil Filters

While most used oil filters were just thrown in the trash a short time ago, today we know they’re recyclable. Some states have banned used oil filters from the landfill while others have placed restrictions on how they can be discarded. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA )requires used oil filters be drained of all free-flowing oil before they are discarded or recycled. Most states follow federal requirements for used oil filter disposal. Currently, U.S. manufactured oil filters are exempt from hazardous waste regulation if the oil filter is:

• punctured through the dome end or anti-drain back valve and hot-drained; or
• hot-drained and crushed; or
• hot-drained and dismantled; or
• hot-drained using an equivalent method to remove used oil.

What is hot-draining?

Hot-draining is defined as draining the oil filter at or near-engine operating temperature but above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. In other words, remove the filter from the engine while it is still warm, then puncture or crush and drain the filter. The EPA recommends hot-draining for a minimum of 12 hours, although specific state requirements may vary. Most of the oil is removed from the filter during hot draining.

WARNING: Use caution when hot-draining filters to avoid being burned. Protective equipment such as safety glasses and gloves should be worn to prevent injury.

Steps to Recycling Oil Filters

The three steps to recycling used filters are:

• collection and transportation
• p r o c e s s i n g
• recycling by a steel mill into new steel