One gallon of used oil can foul a million gallons of drinking water. Oil poured down drains or onto the ground can work its way into our groundwater and waterways and cause serious pollution. Federal reports indicate that used motor oil accounts for more than 40% of the total oil pollution of our nation's harbors and waterways.

Used oil can contain contaminants, including lead, magnesium, copper, zinc, chromium, arsenic, chlorides, cadmium, and chlorinated compounds.

You can recycle used oil!

Folsom residents recycle about 3,500 gallons of used oil each year. Recycling oil prevents it from being improperly disposed of down storm drains, into lakes or streams, or thrown in the garbage.

Used oil can be re-refined or processed into fuel oil. In 2010, 120 million gallons of lubricating oil were sold in California. Approximately 20% — or 24 million gallons — leaked out of engines or was burned, and 83 million gallons of the remaining oil was recycled.

The State of California encourages the recycling of used motor oil and oil filters by certifying used oil recycling collection centers. Certified Used Oil Collection Centers will take used motor oil from the public and will pay you 40 cents per gallon. Most centers will take up to five gallons at a time.

Remember to drain your used oil into a container that has not contained chemicals other than oil. The city provides free used oil recycling buckets. Do not mix any other materials, including water, with used oil.

Folsom's used oil collection centers are listed below.

• Auto Zone
• Jiffy Lube
• O'Reilly
• SpeeDee
• Valvoline Instant Oil Change
• Walmart

Each year, California generates 67 million used automotive filters. The filters are considered hazardous waste and are banned from landfills. However, most are also completely recyclable. Oil filter recycling is good for the environment and easy to do.

Each filter has about a pound of reusable steel — a valuable natural resource. It’s also important to recycle oil filters because each oil filter has, on average, about 10 fluid ounces of used motor oil, even after draining! All of this trapped motor oil adds up to more than two million gallons of used oil going into the environment, the water system, or landfills in California each year from filters that aren’t properly recycled. Oil recovered from the recycled filters is made back into motor oil, closing the loop.

There are numerous used oil collection centers that will accept oil filters from the public. Folsom residents can recycle used oil filters as part of the city’s Door 2 Door HHW collection program. Drain as much oil from the filter as possible and place your used oil filters in a sealed plastic bag before setting them out for pickup.

Call 916-461-6730 to request a free oil and filter recycling container.