Author Topic: How to responsibly dispose of old coolant?  (Read 8829 times)

Offline clogan

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Re: How to responsibly dispose of old coolant?
« Reply #20 on: November 21, 2014, 06:11:54 PM »
Folks get confused between ethylene glycol, and propylene glycol.  Over the years same can be said of ethyl alcohol and methyl or denatured alcohol.  One will get you drunk, the other will get you dead...There is also 70% Isopropyl alcohol and 99% isopropyl, one for disinfecting or massaging, the other for burning.

Here's what the US gubment says about antifreeze recycling...

http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/antifree.htm

The gubment link above in turn routes you to an "earth911" web site, which in turn claims that Advance Auto Parts in my area accepts used coolant. However, based on telephone calls to store managers, this is NOT the case.

I guess I'm sending it to the land fill is old milk jugs.
2010 Neptune blue C14
2009 blue KLR
2013 DRZ400

Offline mkurland

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Re: How to responsibly dispose of old coolant?
« Reply #21 on: November 24, 2014, 03:26:13 PM »
I send it to the water treatment plant, i.e. I flush it

Offline Conrad

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Re: How to responsibly dispose of old coolant?
« Reply #22 on: November 25, 2014, 04:51:05 AM »
I send it to the water treatment plant, i.e. I flush it

Perhaps you didn't see the thread tittle?
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Offline gPink

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Re: How to responsibly dispose of old coolant?
« Reply #23 on: November 25, 2014, 05:00:18 AM »
I send it to the water treatment plant, i.e. I flush it
Perhaps you didn't see the thread tittle?

'The solution to pollution is dilution.'  :-\

Offline jwh20

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Re: How to responsibly dispose of old coolant?
« Reply #24 on: November 25, 2014, 07:38:08 AM »
Most anti-freeze/coolant is based on ethylene glycol.  While it can be poisonous if ingested it's a relatively harmless substance and it readily and rapidly breaks down in the environment.  So flushing it is not such a bad idea.

Here is an article:

http://www.inchem.org/documents/cicads/cicads/cicad_22.htm

Key point:

Quote
Ethylene glycol is readily biodegradable in standard tests using
    sewage sludge. Many studies show biodegradation under both aerobic and
    anaerobic conditions. Some studies suggest a lag phase before

    degradation, but many do not. Degradation occurs in both adapted and
    unadapted sludges. Rapid degradation has been reported in surface
    waters (less in salt water than in fresh water), groundwater, and soil
    inocula. Several strains of microorganisms capable of utilizing
    ethylene glycol as a carbon source have been identified.