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Dear Eartha,
How often do I really need to change my oil to keep my car running properly but minimize adverse environmental impacts?
—Susan from Silverthorne
I do have a sticker on my windshield reminding me to change my oil in three months or 3,000 miles, but motor oil can actually be changed according to your owner's manual instructions. My Subaru Forester manual recommends oil changes every 7,500 miles under normal driving conditions. Changing your oil more frequently than needed won't make your car last longer, save you gas or make your car run better. It not only wastes money, it can hurt the environment. Of course, you should check your oil monthly to ensure you're not running low. And if you're driving over Vail Pass every day or driving only short distances, your driving may be classified as “severe” and you may need to change your oil more frequently. If you drive less than 10 miles, the engine and oil may not completely warm up. And when the oil isn't hot, it doesn't absorb internal combustion contaminants as effectively.
The reason newer cars can go farther between oil changes than older cars is because of both oil chemistry and engine technology. Petroleum companies work in tandem with automakers to create engine lubricants to meet the requirements of newer engines. Today's motor oil lubricates and reduces sludge buildup far better than oil from past decades.
In addition to being a waste of money to change oil too frequently, used motor oil poses a significant risk to the environment. You don't put your used motor oil in a storm drain like it's the '80s, do you? Where you put your used oil is probably more important than how often you change it (for the environment anyway). Less-than-responsible disposal of used motor oil pollutes streams and lakes, because it is insoluble, persistent and contains heavy metal and toxic chemicals (boo). Motor oil in our local watersheds threatens fish, waterfowl, insects and aquatic life. And according to CalRecycle, one gallon of used oil can foul the taste of 1 million gallons of water.
So what happens to properly recycled motor oil? In Summit County, used motor oil collected at the Summit County Resource Allocation Park (SCRAP) provides heat for the recycling materials recovery facility. Used motor oil is often reprocessed into fuel that can be used in furnaces, in power plants to generate electricity or blended for marine fuel. It can also be re-refined into oil that meets the same specifications as virgin motor oil.
Purchasing re-refined motor oil is a great way to close the loop on motor oil. Another option is to use synthetic oil. Although synthetic oil is manufactured using chemicals that mimic petroleum and therefore creates similar pollution, synthetic oil lasts two to three times as long as conventional oil. Oil that needs to be changed less frequently is better for the environment, because oil has to be refined and there's less oil to be disposed of improperly. There is a continued debate among mechanics about which type of oil is better for your engine, and we'll let you figure out that part for yourselves.
If you change your own oil, use care not to spill any oil and drop it off at the SCRAP (the landfill) for proper recycling. People often call to ask us if the drop-off centers take used motor oil. For now, the answer is still no, though Summit County plans to start collecting used motor oil in the next couple of months at the Frisco and Breckenridge recycling drop-off sites. When that happens, info will be posted on www.highcountryconservation.org.
This week's Eartha Steward is written by Jennifer Santry, the Community Programs Director at the High Country Conservation Center (HC3). HC3 is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to waste reduction and resource conservation in our mountain community. Submit questions to Eartha at eartha@highcountryconservation.org.
How often do I really need to change my oil to keep my car running properly but minimize adverse environmental impacts?
—Susan from Silverthorne
I do have a sticker on my windshield reminding me to change my oil in three months or 3,000 miles, but motor oil can actually be changed according to your owner's manual instructions. My Subaru Forester manual recommends oil changes every 7,500 miles under normal driving conditions. Changing your oil more frequently than needed won't make your car last longer, save you gas or make your car run better. It not only wastes money, it can hurt the environment. Of course, you should check your oil monthly to ensure you're not running low. And if you're driving over Vail Pass every day or driving only short distances, your driving may be classified as “severe” and you may need to change your oil more frequently. If you drive less than 10 miles, the engine and oil may not completely warm up. And when the oil isn't hot, it doesn't absorb internal combustion contaminants as effectively.
The reason newer cars can go farther between oil changes than older cars is because of both oil chemistry and engine technology. Petroleum companies work in tandem with automakers to create engine lubricants to meet the requirements of newer engines. Today's motor oil lubricates and reduces sludge buildup far better than oil from past decades.
In addition to being a waste of money to change oil too frequently, used motor oil poses a significant risk to the environment. You don't put your used motor oil in a storm drain like it's the '80s, do you? Where you put your used oil is probably more important than how often you change it (for the environment anyway). Less-than-responsible disposal of used motor oil pollutes streams and lakes, because it is insoluble, persistent and contains heavy metal and toxic chemicals (boo). Motor oil in our local watersheds threatens fish, waterfowl, insects and aquatic life. And according to CalRecycle, one gallon of used oil can foul the taste of 1 million gallons of water.
So what happens to properly recycled motor oil? In Summit County, used motor oil collected at the Summit County Resource Allocation Park (SCRAP) provides heat for the recycling materials recovery facility. Used motor oil is often reprocessed into fuel that can be used in furnaces, in power plants to generate electricity or blended for marine fuel. It can also be re-refined into oil that meets the same specifications as virgin motor oil.
Purchasing re-refined motor oil is a great way to close the loop on motor oil. Another option is to use synthetic oil. Although synthetic oil is manufactured using chemicals that mimic petroleum and therefore creates similar pollution, synthetic oil lasts two to three times as long as conventional oil. Oil that needs to be changed less frequently is better for the environment, because oil has to be refined and there's less oil to be disposed of improperly. There is a continued debate among mechanics about which type of oil is better for your engine, and we'll let you figure out that part for yourselves.
If you change your own oil, use care not to spill any oil and drop it off at the SCRAP (the landfill) for proper recycling. People often call to ask us if the drop-off centers take used motor oil. For now, the answer is still no, though Summit County plans to start collecting used motor oil in the next couple of months at the Frisco and Breckenridge recycling drop-off sites. When that happens, info will be posted on www.highcountryconservation.org.
This week's Eartha Steward is written by Jennifer Santry, the Community Programs Director at the High Country Conservation Center (HC3). HC3 is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to waste reduction and resource conservation in our mountain community. Submit questions to Eartha at eartha@highcountryconservation.org.
