Griff Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I thought this was a dumb/easy question but ab we search shows there are are lots who still pour poisons down the drains - out of sight, out of mind I suppose. My "cellar" of vintage coolant needs displosing of properly - but where should it go? Our local recycling centre only takes waste cooking/engine oils, the motor factor I buy it from doesn't recycle either. Other not so useful suggestions included: - put out a tasty dish to get rid of the local cats - sell it to the Austrians vinyards - weedkiller for the drivewy (I don't want a pink drive) Green answers gratefully accepted..! Cheers, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shad Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I'm in the same boat, I've got a bucket of the stuff I keep moving around the garage. I think putting it down the toilet so that it goes to sewage treatment is the best bet for a small quantity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted March 2, 2012 Author Share Posted March 2, 2012 I wouldn't put it down the loo - it's quite toxic and what we send to the sewage works eventually comes back out of the tap... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 From another forum a while ago .... +++ The answer is in this months Car Mechanics. It must go into a waste treatment source not open gulleys (such as drains). In other words tip it down the loo. +++ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomB Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 It would be best that it goes to treatment via the foul system, rather than by a grid in the road or rainwater drain as this would likely find it way into a river, as surface water and foul sewer systems are usually separate. As such, toilet or sink, but Id dilute it first. Definately not the road grid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skydragon Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Guys....none of the above !! *thumbdown* *thumbdown* You need to take it to your local council waste tip, where they will have disposal facilities for waste oil, coolant, etc. I normally wait until I have a few containers worth and then make the trip. It's not much hassle. If you tip it down your loo, it ends up going to your local sewage plant and although this is far, far, better than tipping it down your nearest road drain cover, the sewage plant will not process it effectively and it will end up potentially contaminating waterways etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterg Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 My local council website lists just about everything you can take to the household recycling centre exceptcoolant - I went through their entire A-Z list so checked for antifreeze and coolant as well as anything else it might have been listed under and nothing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted March 2, 2012 Author Share Posted March 2, 2012 After a few calls to the council (district and county) I found a helpful guy who told me absolutely never pour antifreeze or other chemicals down the drain, toilet etc. Apart from the fact it is toxic to organisms and animals, they routinely track pollutants back to source and the fines are big Our local recycling centre does apparently handle such chemicals but they need to be in clearly marked containers where they are held in a separate locked store away from the public areas before sending off for specialist recycling (perhaps a euphamism for poured down someone else's loo?). At least I'll be doing my bit...I'm off now to pollute the environment with my other car... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomB Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 If its only a small amount, it might be worth a chat with a freindly garage to see if they can put in their proper disposal system. I must admit, I didnt know some of theabove - but I do heavily dilute it before getting rid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mankee Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I take all my old coolant to some mates who run a garage and have the proper drums for various old fluids. If your local tip can't take it, take some beer and biscuits to the local garage and persuade them to take the old coolant off your hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted March 2, 2012 Member Share Posted March 2, 2012 Apart from the environmental issues can I just emphasise the toxicity of ethylene glycol. It only takes a few ml to harm a child, or a few 10s of ml to kill one. So please check your storage of it, both used and unused. Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil66 Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Engine coolant is essentially a glycol and as such these are notenvironmentally harmful in diluted form - check out the MSDS for your particular product to verify there are no other nasty chemicals (unlikely) and then in dilute form, there's no harm in tipping them down your toilet / drains etc I work in the oil industry (in Norway) where we investigate and research any and every substance for use offshore and its potential environmental impact. There are verystrict rules here on what we can and cannot discharge to the marine environment, & glycols fall under "green" chemicals ie- they are safe for discharge... We do of course have to apply for these discharges ahead, together with monitoring & reporting of actual quantities discharge but we're talking in terms of 10's nay 100's m³ (albeit diluted) - not a few litres of engine coolant... Yes, I'm standing by now for flak from the greenies but please think about where you get your fuel / oil (and a heck of a lot of your other daily luxuries) and do a little research on the industry (particularly in Norway) before slinging too much mud at me 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Vine Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Quoting Neil66: Engine coolant is essentially a glycol and as such these are notenvironmentally harmful in diluted form - check out the MSDS for your particular product to verify there are no other nasty chemicals (unlikely) and then in dilute form, there's no harm in tipping them down your toilet / drains etcI'm puzzled now....Measures for environmental protection: Dilute with plenty of water. Do not allow to enter sewers/ surface or ground waterDisposal considerations: Do not allow product to reach sewage system Does this apply solely to undiluted ethylene glycol? If so, it's a bit ambiguous. Also, quite a few of us use coolants based on propylene glycol. Is this less hazardous disposal-wise than EG? JV JV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mavic82 Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I was told by an environment officer who was at a scrap yard I was visiting a few year ago that the best way was (when rain is not forecast) to spread it on a concrete or Tarmac area away from drans for it to evaporate off. But not to pour it down the drain. He gave the scrap yard guy the same advice, dont poor on soft ground as it pollutes the ground It has to be a hard surface Guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted March 2, 2012 Author Share Posted March 2, 2012 So having read the label which tells me this is toxic stuff and that I shouldn't allow it to enter the sewers. I choose a nice dry day to pour it over my nice big area of tarmac (which by the way will have a gradiant to allow rainwater to flow away) and, being England, I wait five minutes and heavens open. It was a Gloucester County Council environmental officer who told me antifreeze should be taken to the local recycling centre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil66 Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 The quotes are pure CYA... Obviously they can't be seen to condone tipping stuff into sewers and must be seen to be PC... a good thing that is too or we risk returning to the old days where everything went down the drain, however, diluted glycols are not harmful and accordingly I would not be concerned about their disposal... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul McKenzie Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Glycol>Sewage Works>bugs>YUM YUM>more bugs + CO2 + H20. The wonders of biodegradation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil66 Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Quoting Paul McKenzie: Glycol>Sewage Works>bugs>YUM YUM>more bugs + CO2 + H20. The wonders of biodegradation Exactamundo...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Vine Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Thanks, Neil66. JV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted March 3, 2012 Author Share Posted March 3, 2012 From a WHO article I found about effects of ethylene glycol in streams around airports (which are supposed to have containment systems to prevent polluiton from run-off): Tests using deicer containing ethylene glycol showed greater toxicity to aquatic organisms than observed with the pure compound, indicating other toxic components of the formulations. Laboratory tests exposing aquatic organisms to stream water receiving runoff from airports have demonstrated toxic effects and death. Field studies in the vicinity of an airport have reported toxic signs consistent with ethylene glycol poisoning, fish kills, and reduced biodiversity. These effects cannot definitively be ascribed to ethylene glycol. Not conclusive but doesn't sound like we should be pouring it down the drains either. I think I'll join the tree-huggers on this one... 😳 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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