We have highlighted many questions people have about used oil and antifreeze materials recycling in Saskatchewan.
If you have a question not answered in FAQ, we would like to hear from you. Email your question to sarrc@usedoilrecycling.ca or call SARRC’s office in Saskatoon at 1-877-645-7275.
Used oil is considered the single most potentially hazardous material in Canada if not managed properly. Dumping used oil can damage earth and water.
A standard used oil filter can contain up to 8 ounces/250 ML of used oil. Since many filters are 85% steel, they will take forever to decompose if dumped in a landfill.
Some people dispose of these used plastic containers by burning them. This is dangerous since plastic gives off dangerous toxins that are hazardous to oneʼs health. Also, when taken to the landfill, plastic containers take up valuable space and hundreds of years to decompose.
Used antifreeze is toxic. Dumping it can cause serious water quality problems and harm people, pets and wildlife.
Used motor oil contains a variety of contaminants, is considered hazardous waste, and needs to be disposed of properly. In Saskatchewan, you can recycle any petroleum or synthetic crankcase oil, engine oil, hydraulic fluid, transmission fluid, gear oil, heat transfer fluid or other fluid used for lubricating purposes in machinery or equipment.
You can use your original containers to store used products. Be sure to label them as used, and always keep them closed! Click here to find a drop-off location near you!
Many commercial organizations that are large generators of used oil and antifreeze materials use services from registered collectors to pick up their used materials, and bring them to a processing facility. Click here to see which companies service your region!
Used oil can’t be mixed with other liquids, otherwise it’s considered contaminated. Used oil and antifreeze are hard to recover if they’ve been mixed together, or with other solvents or chemicals.
Yes! Don’t let used oil go to waste — when brought in for recycling, it can be re-refined again and again! Did you know that by recycling used oil, you’re participating in closed loop recycling? Closed loop means that a product is recycled back into its previous form, meaning old oil becomes new again. This helps our environment by reducing the amount of new oil that needs to be extracted, transported, and refined. Drop your used oil at one of SARRC’s collection points today!
Saskatchewan businesses and residents purchase between 35 and 40 million litres of oil every year. An astounding total of 443.8 million litres of used oil have been recovered in Saskatchewan between 1997 and 2023! It’s really something worth celebrating!
Before the program was introduced, most used oil was improperly discarded in fields, in ditches, down drains and on roads. With the SARRC program’s implementation, used oil is now reprocessed into re-refined lubricating oil, industrial burner fuel and other products.
Derivatives from recycled oil can also help create life-saving medical devices, as well as preservatives that keep food from spoiling. In fact, more than 6,000 products rely on oil derivatives and refined petroleum! Speakers, guitar strings, nail polish, crayons, perfume, candles and pillows are just some of them.
Used oil rags are toxic and considered contaminated used oil products. They should be taken to a hazardous waste drop-off location.
Re-refining used oil completely restores the original lubricating properties of the oil and takes about one-third of the energy of refining crude oil to lubricant quality.
Used filters are crushed and the residual used oil is captured. The crushed steel filters are then processed at steel recycling mills and turned into other metal products such as construction rebar, angle iron and pipe.
Used antifreeze is recycled into new antifreeze. Itʼs cost effective, saves resources and protects our quality of life and environments.
Yes! SARRC’s stewardship program includes plastic oil, antifreeze, and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) containers. They are used to create clean pelletized feedstock for new containers, or oily plastic flakes for guardrails, fence posts, landscape ties, pipe and parking curbs, as well as for plastic durable goods such as patio furniture and flower pots.
Used plastic containers end up as clean pelletized feedstock for new containers, or oily plastic flake for guardrails, fence posts, landscape ties, pipe and parking curbs, as well as for plastic durable goods such as patio furniture and flower pots.
A collection facility is a business such as a garage or automotive retail outlet that will accept all or some of the used oil and antifreeze materials (oil, filters, antifreeze, plastic containers). Some collection facilities will accept materials from everyone but some will only accept from their customers. Please check before dropping off.
An EcoCentre (pictured at right) is a specially built structure provided as a drop-off point for small volume generators who wish to safely dispose of their used oil and antifreeze materials.
Purpose-built EcoCentres are located in Bengough, Biggar, Buffalo Narrows, Creighton/Flin-Flon, Davidson, Esterhazy, Fort Qu’Appelle, Gravelbourg, Grenfell, Hudson Bay, Humboldt, Eston, La Ronge, Leader, Maple Creek, Meadow Lake, Melville, Melfort, Moose Jaw, Moosomin, Nipawin, North Battleford, Outlook, Preeceville, Prince Albert, Redvers, Regina, Rosetown, Saskatoon, Shaunavon, Spiritwood, Swift Current, Unity, Watrous, Weyburn Wynyard, and Yorkton.
Click here for the full list of recycling locations including EcoCentres.
Saskatchewan has 37 purpose-built EcoCentres in major communities, with nearly 130 drop-off points province-wide. These are convenient drop-off points for what we call small generators. A do-it-yourself mechanic, a farmer or small business may have small quantities of used oil, antifreeze, filters and plastic containers that can be easily transported to a nearby collection facility. For the facility nearest you, click here. Or call SARRC’s toll free telephone number at 1-877-645-7275.
If your business is interested in becoming a registered collector, review the SARRC Collector & Processor Manual for application forms and conditions of registration, payment and operating requirements.
If your business is interested in becoming a registered collector, review the SARRC Collector & Processor Manual for application forms and conditions of registration, payment and operating requirements.
Contact one of over 30 SARRC registered collectors who will make arrangements to pick up your used oil and antifreeze materials at your business or on your farm. Click here for the list of Collectors. Or call SARRC’s toll free telephone number 1-877-645-7275.
Collectors are required to take all used oil and antifreeze materials to government-approved processors either in Saskatchewan, western Canada, or the United States.
Empty 20-litre plastic pails are certainly useful. In fact, Saskatchewan farmers annually re-use 80% of their 20-litre pails. SARRC estimates that over half a million pails are stored on farms and growing at 35,000 pails a year.
But you’ll probably never reuse them all. So clear the excess out of your storage areas and return them for recycling and reuse. Please don’t burn them because plastics emit dangerous toxins.
Any plastic container with a capacity of 50 litres or less, that is manufactured to hold oil, can be recycled at drop-off facilities and EcoCentres listed on our website.
In Saskatchewan, you can recycle any petroleum or synthetic crankcase oil, engine oil, hydraulic fluid, transmission fluid, gear oil, heat transfer fluid or other fluid used for lubricating purposes in machinery or equipment.
Ensure your used oil is not contaminated with such things as water, anti-freeze, paint or solvent. If it is, please contact your local municipality about where you can recycle this material.
Any spin-on or element oil filter used in hydraulic, transmission or internal combustion engine applications can be recycled. This includes diesel fuel filters but does not include gasoline fuel filters.
Collected January 1 to December 31, 2023
Collected since Program Start – Oct 1997 to Dec 2023
Greenhouse Gas Estimates
It is estimated that SARRC’s program saved 52,789 tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2023. That’s like taking about 15,837 passenger vehicles off the road or the energy used by over 12,141 homes in one year.
* Based on Natural Resources Canada’s greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator.
GHG Emissions Tracking
SARRC started tracking greenhouse gas emissions in 2017; since then, the program has saved over 323,852 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, or 98,881 passenger vehicles taken off the road or the energy used by 75,622 homes in a year—that’s something we can all be proud of!
