If you do your own vehicle maintenance, eventually you'll have to change your antifreeze. This highly toxic chemical is vital to keep a vehicle's engine from overheating or freezing, depending on the weather, and it needs to be handled and disposed of carefully. This guide offers tips on how to dispose of antifreeze safely, including where to take it and how to recycle it.
Understanding Antifreeze and Why It Can Be Dangerous
Antifreeze is necessary for vehicle maintenance, but you should handle it carefully. The primary ingredient in antifreeze is either ethylene glycol or propylene glycol, which are both toxic to all living things. It's typically a bright, fluorescent green or orange with a sweet smell, so it's attractive to children and pets who don't know better.
Antifreeze can cause organ failure, convulsions, and loss of consciousness if ingested. For all these reasons, you should dispose of it promptly and clean up spills as soon as they happen.
How to Dispose of Antifreeze
Before changing out your vehicle's antifreeze, be prepared with a disposal location. Search online for antifreeze recycling near you, and you'll likely see recycling centers, auto service stations, auto parts shops, and public landfills listed.
Call or check the websites of these locations to see if they accept the type of antifreeze you're getting rid of. If the antifreeze comes from your vehicle, collection sites will almost always consider it used. You can usually drop off your antifreeze at these locations for free. Sometimes, however, you’ll be charged a small disposal fee.
Not all disposal locations recycle. If you find one that does, it’s the more environmentally friendly option. Either way, properly disposing of antifreeze and other materials like bleach is always better than dumping it down a drain or into your yard.
