PACE: Partners for A Clean Environment

Management Standards for Used Oil Filters
Under EPA’s final rule, effective June 19, 1992, non terne-plated used oil filters are exempt from hazardous waste regulations if they have been gravity hot-drained (drained near engine operating temperature and above 60 F for a minimum of 12 hours) using one of the following methods:

Terne (a lead-tin alloy) serves as a plating on some oil filters. Heavy-duty vehicles such as buses, semi-tractors or construction equipment may use terne-plated oil filters; light-duty automobiles and trucks typically use non-terne-plated filters. If you use terne-plated filters, you must have them tested using the Toxic Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP), and if they exceed the 5 ppm standard for lead, they must be transported by and disposed at an authorized hazardous waste facility. For more information about hazardous waste regulations, contact the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Hazardous Waste Control Program, at (303) 692-3320.

PACE Certification Requirement
To receive full certification in the Partners for a Clean Environment program, auto repair shops are required to recycle their spent oil filters. Spent oil filters are typically stored in 55-gallon drums which hold on average 200 uncrushed filters or 400 crushed filters. Drums are usually provided by the recycling vendor (they may require a deposit). Pick-up and recycling costs are around $100 per 55- gallon drum, which amounts to 50 cents per filter uncrushed and 25 cents per crushed filter. A filter crusher costs about $1,500 and will generate additional waste oil. Some local companies that recycle spent oil filters and price quotes are listed below. The City and County of Boulder, as represented through Partners for a Clean Environment, in no way endorse any of the companies, nor regard this as a complete list of oil filter recyclers. Direct any questions to Sarah Van Pelt at (303) 441-1914 or Anne Kaufmann at (303) 441-1146.

Company & Phone	Cost/drum (10/14/97)
First Recovery (303) 293-9248	$95/ 55-gallon drum for uncrushed filters or $115/55 gallon drum for crushed filters.
Mesa Oil (303) 426-4777	$45/ 55-gallon drum for uncrushed filters, or $95/ 55-gallon drum for crushed filters.
Tri-R Systems (303) 399-6351	Prices are based on volume and can run anywhere between $65-$94 for a 55-gallon drum of crushed or uncrushed filters.
Safety Kleen (303) 761-8614	About $90/ 55-gallon drum for crushed or uncrushed filters, but prices also vary with the amount of other service Safety-Kleen provides.

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