Get in gear. The first step is prep. Fully drain the used oil AND filter – ideally overnight to catch all the oil. A used oil filter can hold up to a quart of oil! Use a funnel to pour the used oil into a clean, sturdy, leak-proof plastic container with a screw-on cap. Place the empty oil filter in a sealed plastic bag. Be sure to keep the oil clean – don’t mix it with any other fluids or substances so that it can be recycled again and again. If it does get contaminated with anything, including water or other car fluids, make sure to take it to your local Household Hazardous (HHW) Facility – read more below. Once your oil and filter are secure, you can take it on the road.
Take it on the road.
Marin County has several drop-off locations where DIYers can take their used motor oil and filters for free, including auto parts stores, repair shops and recycling yards, several of which are still open during the Stay at Home period with limited hours. Zero Waste Marin created a map of all the used oil and filter collection centers, so you can easily find the closest center to drop-off your used oil and filters. If possible, wait until the Stay at Home Order is lifted and always call the drop-off location first to verify hours and limitations.
Mixed up?
Not sure if your oil is mixed with other materials, or have other Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) such as paint, antifreeze, or insecticide to get rid of as well? Both the Marin HHW Facility (all Marin County residents except Novato) and the Novato HHW Facility (only Novato residents) remain open to the public. Marin County residents can drop off a maximum of 15 gallons or 125 pounds of contaminated oil and other HHW for free at the facilities with ID and proof of residency. Visit the Marin HHW Facility or the Novato HHW Facilitysites beforehand to confirm hours and requirements.
For more useful info on motorcycles, DIY oil changing, and oil and filter recycling – check out our other blog posts and the rest of the Riders Recycle site!
The first step is prep. Fully drain the used oil AND filter – ideally overnight to catch all the oil. A used oil filter can hold up to a quart of oil! Use a funnel to pour the used oil into a clean, sturdy, leak-proof plastic container with a screw-on cap. Place the empty oil filter in a sealed plastic bag. Depending on where you live, you might be able to get free jugs and filter bags for recycling delivered to your home – find your city below for details. Be sure to keep the oil clean – don’t mix it with any other fluids or substances so that it can be recycled again and again. If it does get contaminated with anything, including water or other car fluids, make sure to take it to your local Household Hazardous (HHW) Facility – read more below. Once your oil and filter are secure, you can either park it at the curbside for recycling or take it on the road when the Shelter at Home Order is lifted – keep reading to decide what’s easiest for you.
Park it at the curb.
In Napa County, convenient curbside collection of motor oil and filters is available to single-family residential customers in the cities/towns below. Depending on where you live and your waste hauler, you might need to prep your used oil and filters a little differently to guarantee they will get picked up. Find your city or town below for details.
City of Napa and Southern Unincorporated Napa County (Airport Industrial Area, unincorporated American Canyon around Green Island Rd., Carneros, Coombsville, Edgerly Island, Mt. Veeder/Redwood Rd., Silverado Country Club)
For Napa Recycling and Waste Services/Napa County Recycling and Waste Services customers in the cities/towns above, call 707-255-5200 to sign up for the curbside oil and filter recycling program and reserve a used oil container and oil filter bag. The containers hold 2.25 gallons of oil, and two filters will fit in the bag. When you are ready for a pickup, call 707-255-5200 for an appointment, so the drivers look for your oil container and filter bag set-out next to your recycling cart. They will leave a replacement oil container and filter bag for your next oil change.
City of American Canyon
Recology American Canyon customers can recycle used oil curbside but not used oil filters at this time. Call 707-552-3110 ahead of time for free oil recycling jugs. Up to two gallons of used oil may be recycled every week. Place sealed used motor oil jugs next to your carts for pickup on collection day and a new oil jug will be left at the curb for your next oil change.
Calistoga, St. Helena, Yountville, and Unincorporated Northern Napa County (Angwin, Deer Park, Howell Mountain, Oakville, Pope Valley, and Rutherford)
Upper Valley Disposal Services customers above can call 707-963-7988 ahead of time to request a two-gallon motor oil recycling container and an oil filter bag for curbside/roadside collection. Call ahead for pickup on your regular service day and place the sealed containers next to your cart.
Take it on the road.
In addition to curbside oil and filter recycling, there are many convenient drop-off locations in Napa County where DIYers can take their used motor oil and filters for free, including auto parts stores, repair shops and recycling yards, several of which are still open during the Shelter at Home period with limited hours. CalRecycle created a map of all the used oil and filter collection centers, so you can easily find the closest center to drop-off your used oil and filters. If possible, wait until the Shelter at Home Order is lifted and always call the drop-off location first to verify hours and limitations.
Mixed up?
Not sure if your oil is mixed with other materials, or have other Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) such as paint, antifreeze, or insecticide to get rid of as well? The Napa-Vallejo Household Hazardous Waste Facility remains open to the public Friday and Saturday 9am-4pm, though all visitors to the site are required to remain in their vehicles as workers wearing protective equipment unload wastes. Napa County residents can drop off a maximum of 15 gallons or 125 pounds of contaminated oil and other HHW for free at the Napa HHW Facility. Visit the Napa-Vallejo Household Hazardous Waste Facility site beforehand to confirm hours and requirements.
If you live up valley, the Upper Valley Waste Management Agency sponsors twice-yearly household hazardous waste collection events in St. Helena and Calistoga. Email upvalleyrecycles@countyofnapa.org to request information on the next event.
For more useful info on motorcycles, DIY oil changing, and oil and filter recycling – check out our other blog posts and the rest of the Riders Recycle site!
Working on your motorcycle while staying at home due to COVID-19? Planning an oil change but not sure what to do with your used motor oil and filter?
Whether you’ve got a Yamaha V-Star 650 Cruiser, a Dry-Sump Suzuki DR350 Enduro, a BMW R1150RT or any other motorcycle, the job isn’t done until you’ve recycled your used oil AND filter. Both motor oil and the steel in oil filters can be cleaned and used over and over again if they’re recycled. Though we’re focusing on Sonoma County for this post, the options are similar across California – find details for your city or county here.
Get in gear.
The first step is prep. Fully drain the used oil AND filter – ideally overnight to catch all the oil. A used oil filter can hold up to a quart of oil! Call Zero Waste Sonoma’s Eco-Desk at 707-565-DESK (3375) to get a free motor oil filter drainer, like the one in the picture above, delivered to your home during COVID-19 Shelter-In-Place orders. Use a funnel to pour the used oil into a clean, sturdy, leak-proof plastic container with a screw-on cap. Place the empty oil filter in a sealed plastic bag. Depending on where you live, you might be able to get free jugs and filter bags for recycling delivered to your home – find your city below for details. Be sure to keep the oil clean – don’t mix it with any other fluids or substances so that it can be recycled again and again. If it does get contaminated with anything, including water or other car fluids, make sure to take it to your local Household Hazardous (HHW) Facility – read more below. Once your oil and filter are secure, you can either park it at the curbside for recycling or take it on the road when the Shelter-In-Place Order is lifted – keep reading to decide what’s easiest for you.
Park it at the curb.
In Sonoma County, curbside collection of motor oil and filters is available to all residential hauling company customers! Depending on where you live and your waste hauler, you might need to prep your oil and filter a little differently to guarantee it will get picked up. Find your city or town below for details.
Cloverdale, Cotati, Healdsburg, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, and Unincorporated Sonoma County (see full list):
For the Recology Sonoma Marin customers in the cities/towns above, call 800-243-0291 to request a used oil kit (a container and sealable filter bag). When filled, call customer service to request a pickup, and place oil and filters at the curb next to, NOT INSIDE, your recycling cart on your service day.
Windsor:
Sonoma County Resource Recovery customers can request a free container and ziplock bag for used oil and filter recycling by calling 707-795-7470. Contain motor oil in a one gallon sealed plastic container with screw top lid and oil filter in a sealed ziplock bag. Place materials on the curb near your recycling cart for collection. They accept up to two gallons of motor oil per week. Find more details in the Residential Service Guidelines.
Sonoma including Creekside, Chantarelle, Temelec:
Sonoma Garbage customers need to call 707-996-7555 ahead of time to schedule a pickup. You can order a free oil kit with an oil recycling container and zip closure bag when you call ahead. On the day of service, set sealed oil container and filter bag next to cart.
Take it on the road.
In addition to curbside oil and filter recycling, Sonoma County has more than 50 drop-off locations where DIYers can take their used motor oil and filters for free, including auto parts stores, repair shops and recycling yards, several of which are still open during the Shelter-In-Place period with limited hours. Zero Waste Sonoma created a map of all the used oil and filter collection centers, so you can easily find the closest center to drop-off your used oil and filters. If possible, wait until the Shelter-In-Place Order is lifted and always call the drop-off location first to verify hours and limitations.
Mixed up?
Not sure if your oil is mixed with other materials, or have other Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) such as paint, antifreeze, or insecticide to get rid of as well? While HHW Rover and HHW Events are closed during Shelter-In-Place, the Sonoma County HHW Facility in Petaluma is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 7:30am-2:30pm. Sonoma County residents can drop off a maximum of 15 gallons or 125 pounds of contaminated oil and other HHW for free at the Petaluma Facility with ID to prove residency. Visit the Sonoma County HHW Facilitysite beforehand to confirm hours and requirements.
For more useful info on motorcycles, DIY oil changing, and oil and filter recycling – check out our other blog posts and the rest of the Riders Recycle site!
Spending some quality time with your motorcycle while you’re stuck at home due to COVID-19? Wondering what to do with your used oil and filter now that you’ve finished your oil change?
Taking care of a Yamaha V-Star 650 Cruiser oil change at home.
Our team has shown the step-by-step of oil and filter changes on several motorcycles over the years – a Yamaha V-Star 650 Cruiser, a Dry-Sump Suzuki DR350 Enduro, and a BMW R1150RT. Just like the oil and filter change, how and where to recycle the used oil and filter depends on where you live. For this post, we’re focusing on San Mateo County, but the options are similar no matter where you live in California (find details for your city or county here).
Used oil filter drains overnight.
Get in gear. The first step is prep. Fully drain the oil AND filter – ideally overnight to catch the oil. If you’ve been stockpiling oil filters, be sure they’re fully drained. Use a funnel to pour the oil into a clean, sturdy, leak-proof plastic container with a screw-on cap. Place the oil filter in a clean, sealed plastic bag. Depending on where you live, you might be able to get free jugs and filter bags delivered directly to your door (find your city below for details). Be sure to keep the oil clean – don’t mix it with any other substance so that it can be recycled again and again. If it does get contaminated, make sure to take it to your local Household Hazardous (HHW) Facility (read more below). Once your oil and filter are secure, you can either park it at the curbside for recycling or take it on the road – keep reading to decide what’s easiest for you.
Used motor oil and filter placed next to the recycling cart for curbside pickup.
Park it at the curb. If you live in a single-family home in one of the cities listed below, you have access to convenient curbside oil and filter recycling! Depending on where you live and your waste hauler, you might need to prep your oil and filter a little differently to guarantee it will get picked up. Find your city below for details on what’s accepted and how to prep.
Atherton, Belmont, Burlingame, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Hillsborough, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Carlos, and San Mateo According to Recology San Mateo County’s website, if you’re a single-family home resident, you can put used motor oil in a clear plastic container and filters in a zippered plastic bag next to your blue recycle cart for pickup on your regular collection day. You can request up to five, one-gallon plastic jugs for your used motor oil and up to five zippered plastic bags for your used oil filters, at no cost. You can also use your own clear zip-top plastic bags and clear plastic screw-top containers for used motor oil, like a one-gallon milk jug. Make sure that lids and bags are tightly sealed.
Portola Valley and Woodside GreenWaste provides free curbside recycling for used oil and filters, but you have to use their jugs and bags. To order free jugs and bags, call customer service at 650.568.9900. When you’re done, place sealed jugs with oil and sealed bags with filters next to your recycling cart for collection.
Colma, Daly City, and Half Moon Bay Republic Services Allied Waste takes up to two, one-gallon, clear plastic jugs (with screw-top cap) of used motor oil and up to two, one-gallon clear zip-top plastic bags with used oil filters curbside on your collection day. Place well-labeled motor oil and oil filters next to your blue recycling cart.
Brisbane, Millbrae, and South San Francisco South San Francisco Scavenger will take up to five gallons of oil in sealed plastic bottles with screw-on lids and up to five empty oil filters in a clear zip-top bag, placed next to the recycling cart on collection day.
La Honda, Loma Mar, Pescadero and San Gregorio Kunz Valley Trash & Recycling takes used motor oil in plastic jugs with screw-top lids and used filters inside secure zip-top plastic bags. Place both next to your recycling cart. Call 831.338.9050 before your scheduled pickup if you have more than the usual amount for a single auto or pick-up truck.
Take it on the road. If you don’t have curbside oil and filter recycling, San Mateo County has over 50 drop-off locations where any resident can take their used motor oil and filters for free, including auto parts stores, repair shops and recycling yards, several of which are still open during the Shelter-In-Place period with limited hours. San Mateo County Environmental Health Services created a map of all the used motor oil and filter recycling collection centers, so you can easily find the closest center to drop-off your used oil and filters (see map below). If possible, wait until the Shelter-In-Place Order is lifted and always call the drop-off location first to verify hours and limitations.
Mixed up? Not sure if your oil is mixed with other materials, or have other Household Hazardous Waste (HHW – such as paint, antifreeze, or insecticide) to get rid of as well? San Mateo County residents can drop up to ten gallons or fifty pounds of contaminated oil and other HHW off for free at the San Mateo County HHW Facility. Call 650.363.4718 and select option 3, or visit the San Mateo County Environmental Health Services HHW website to make an appointment at a drop-off location near you.
For more useful info on motorcycles, DIY oil changing, and oil and filter recycling – check out our other blog posts and the rest of the Riders Recycle site.
