The City of Indio holds used oil and oil filter collection events throughout the year. These events are free and residents can bring used oil and oil filters to be collected and recycled. These events are open to anyone in the Coachella Valley. See Sustainability Collection Events for more details for when the next event arrives.

Remember to bring your used oil filters because these can also be recycled.

Importance of Properly Disposing of Used Oil 

If the oil generated by all of the do-it-yourself oil changers in America were collected and re-refined, it would provide enough motor oil for over 50 million cars each year.

In California alone, over 120 million gallons of used oil were recycled in 2006. However 20 million gallons of used motor oil is disposed of each year in an unknown manner by do-it-yourself oil changers. This equals nearly 1 gallon of improperly disposed used oil for every adult Californian.

Don't pour it down the drain or on the ground: Used oil can foul sewage treatment processes; oil dumped on the land reduces soil productivity; and oil from a single oil change can ruin the taste of a million gallons of drinking water

Used Oil Curbside Pickup Program

Residents may place a maximum of two fully sealed, one-gallon plastic containers of uncontaminated (meaning not mixed) used motor oil at curbside on their designated trash day. Please clearly mark each container as USED MOTOR OIL. Please do not mix engine coolant, water, or other materials with used oil. For more details on how to prepare used oil for pick-up or drop-off, visit Burrtec on the Web or call Burrtec at 760-340-2113.

There are also several Certified Used Oil Collection Centers in Indio. Find a certified collection center near you.

What Happens to Used Oil

Repurposing used motor oil has multiple practical benefits. One significant application involves turning it into a base stock for lubricating oil-a process that is similar to refining crude oil. This results in re-refined oil that matches the quality of virgin oil products. The eco-friendly process of re-refining used oil consumes 50 to 85 percent less energy compared to refining crude oil.