Does Walmart Take Used Oil For Free? (Yes But Read This Before!)

Have you ever asked yourself or your friend if Walmart takes used oil for free? Well, you are at the perfect place to find the answer to such a question.

As someone with a car or motorcycle, eventually, you will need to find a way to get rid of your old motor oil.

You may not know what to do with it, since simply throwing the oil away is terrible for the environment. Have you ever wondered if there is a convenient place—like your local Walmart—where you can simply drop off your old oil?

So, does Walmart take used oil? Yes, Walmart is a participant in a recycling program which will take your used oil and repurpose it in many new ways. However, it must be a Walmart location which has an attached Auto Care Center.

The rest of this article will go into detail about Walmart’s recycling program, how you can take your oil for drop off at Walmart, and why you should recycle your old motor oil.

Does Walmart take used oil for free?

Yes, Walmart will take your used oil at no charge! Exciting, right? They will take any used motor oil—you do not have to have purchased the oil at Walmart.

The only caveat is that there is a limit to how much oil you may recycle per day. You are not allowed to drop off more than five gallons of oil in a single day.

Why can’t I just throw my old oil away?

Motor oil is actually a hazard to the environment. You cannot simply throw it in a regular garbage can, since it could very easily leak or contaminate other things, leading to terrible consequences for people, animals, plants, and more, especially water.

Since motor oil is insoluble, it does not break down, and it will stick to anything and everything. Disposing of your old oil through a program that is designed to do so is the safest way to make sure that your oil is not going to cause harm to the environment—or to people and animals.

Read also: Does AutoZone Take Used Oil For Free? (You´ll Be Surprised!)

What does Walmart use the old oil for?

Luckily, oil is a product which is very easily recycled! There is a huge number of ways that it can continue to be useful after it has finished doing its job in your car or motorcycle.

Walmart recycles all of the old oil that they collect. This means that the oil will be re-refined and then used to create other products which may be useful, including new fuel, lubricants, and fluids for other auto parts.

In some cases, the oil can be used for things totally unrelated to automobiles, such as creating pet food or even materials such as carpets!

Does Walmart reuse the old oil in people’s cars?

No! This is absolutely a myth, and if you hear someone say this, you should not believe it. Although Walmart does recycle used motor oil, they do not do so by re-placing old oil into people’s cars when they come for an oil change.

Instead, when the oil is recycled at Walmart, it is used for other, new purposes, such as the ones we have already mentioned above.

How can I bring my old oil to Walmart?

To bring your used oil to Walmart, you need to collect the oil, empty the oil filter, and then transfer all the oil into a secure container for transportation.

To collect the oil, you want to make sure that you are doing so as carefully as possible to avoid spillage. Place a large plastic sheet underneath your work area so that if you do spill any oil, it will be easy to contain.

Then, use a secure container, such as a drip pan with a spout, to catch the oil underneath your engine.

Next, you can empty the oil filter by puncturing a small hole in the dome of the filter and letting it drain into the drip pan with the rest of the old oil.

When you have finished with this, seal the used filter in a plastic bag. Walmart will also take the filter for recycling.

Finally, transfer the oil from the drip pan into a new, secure container for transportation. You want to make sure that this container is totally clean and free of other materials—if the oil becomes contaminated, it will not be able to be recycled.

It is best to use the container the oil originally came in or a container designed for the purpose of transporting oil.

When you have secured the oil in a safe container, you may take it to your local Walmart for drop off. Make sure that the location has an Auto Care Center attached!

Do any other places take used oil for free?

Yes, some other retailers will also take used oil, such as AutoZone, Pep Boys, and Advance Auto Parts. You can use Earth911.com to search using your zip code to find different locations to recycle motor oil, in addition to other recyclable materials.

No matter where you take your oil for recycling, it is important to follow the steps we outlined above to ensure that you are safely transporting your used oil.

It is all too easy to make a mistake and end up spilling oil and deciding to simply throw it away for ease, but this is a poor choice which can quickly turn hazardous for everyone in the vicinity.

Thanks to the multiple retailers who recycle used oil, it has never been more convenient to dispose of your oil in a safe and environmentally friendly way.

Read also: Can I Dispose of Used Motor Oil at Walmart? (The Truth!)

Conclusion

So, does Walmart take used oil for free? Yes, they do! Through their oil recycling program, Walmart will take up to five gallons of used oil each day per customer.

This recycled oil will then be repurposed for a variety of different things, including fuel, other fluids for cars, and even unrelated materials like carpets.

You can take your used oil not only to Walmart, but also to a number of other auto parts retailers.

Recycling your oil is an excellent way for you to not only get rid of your used oil in a safe way, but also for you to help protect our Earth by keeping toxic waste out of the ecosystem.

References

https://www.walmart.com/help