The Kentucky Division of Waste Management strongly encourages do-it-yourself oil changers, businesses and local government to properly manage and recycle used oil. Businesses interested in joining our Used Motor Oil Recovery Program may contact Fred Kirchhoff at 502-564-6716. 

One quart of oil can form an oil slick nearly two acres in size, and the same amount can render 250 million gallons of drinking water unfit for human consumption. Environmental impacts from improper handling of oil range from acute catastrophes such as the Exxon Valdez disaster of 1989 to chronic degradation of the soils and streams around us. Used oil can be more of a problem than new oil because of the contaminants that used oil contains. These contaminants have been linked to bronchitis; adverse impacts on human fetal development; lethal toxicity to plants and animals; and human cancers of the skin, lung, liver, bladder, kidney and gastrointestinal tract.

Kentucky generates more than 19 million gallons of used oil annually. Much of this oil is processed or recycled; however, a high percentage is disposed of improperly. Common misuses include:

• Draining used oil into sewers, where it can disrupt treatment plants or drain directly into streams and rivers.
• Dumping used oil directly onto the ground to kill weeds or suppress dust on dirt roads.
• Throwing used oil into the trash, usually with it ending up in landfills, from which the oil may migrate to ground and surface water.
• Using it in a variety of "home remedy" applications such as preventing rusting of yard and farm equipment.

Several Kentucky service stations and businesses have established collection centers where you can drop off the used oil from your cars, lawnmowers, tractors, boats and motorcycles. To recycle your oil, simply drain it into a suitable container, transfer it into an unbreakable, sealable container (such as a plastic milk jug or gas can) and take it to a collection center displaying this sign.  Don’t use a container that has held household chemicals, like bleach.  You can access information about recycling in your community by going to the Earth 911 site at http://www.earth911.org/ and typing in your ZIP code. Or you can call 1-800-CLEANUP.

For additional information, you may also access the Used Oil Fact Sheet on this site.