Auto Parts Chain Accepting Used Motor Oil in Recycling Program

Kragen Auto Parts stores throughout California have begun accepting used motor oil as part of a nationwide recycling program launched by Valvoline.

About 240 stores in California, including 69 in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, will accept the oil at no charge. Motorists can bring the oil in a clean plastic container, or Kragen will supply a reusable container at low cost, the company said.

An estimated 2.7 billion gallons of used oil are drained from motor vehicles and industrial equipment each year in the United States. When improperly disposed, used motor oil can pose significant threats to the environment, including the contamination of underground drinking water aquifers.

People who change their own oil improperly dispose of 220 million gallons of used oil each year--20 times more than spilled by the Exxon Valdez in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, according to the Automotive Information Council, an industry trade group.