How to Recycle Oil Filters

recycle oil filter crusherHow to recycle oil filters? Did you know that oil filter manufacturers produce more than 500 million filters each year? That adds up to more than 100 thousand tons of steel.

I can not tell you that there is no other scrappers out there taking advantage of motor oil filter scrap but I can tell you that there aren’t many.

Within the information below, I’ll teach you how to recycle oil filters as well as provides you with some good ways to get plenty of filters to sell as scrap metal.

The motor oil filter is made of a few different pieces. The canister is the outer body of the scrap motor oil filter.

The tapping plate is the bottom portion of the filter that is threaded and has the little holes in it. The filter paper or fiber is on the inside of the filter.

For example purposes I’ll break down a single oil filter.

Properly drain the oil from the scrap motor oil filter.

Use a grinder or steel pipe cutter to cut the tapping plate off of the canister body, just as you would if you were opening a canned good.

Lift the tapping plate away from the canister body. Depending on the type of filter you have, you will see a steel spring or a tin plated steel clip.

Many motor oil filters have a tin plated steel tube in the center of the filter paper. If so, remove the tube. Royal Purple filters have a big piece of steel, shaped like a cage within them that surrounds the filter fiber.

Now that we know how to recycle oil filters, let’s discuss the best way to find them.





Even if you do most of your driving in the city, most people change the oil 4 to 5 times a year.

If you happen to find an old motor oil filter at the curbside, grab it but there likely won’t be that many that are visible since people try to hide things like filters deep within their garbage.

Oil change shops are your best bet and small mom’s and pop’s repair businesses in your area.

Some of the big named oil change places may already have a fellow scrapper helping them but as I said, there are thousands of oil change shops and you can make a nice living off only 3 or 4 shops scrap filters.

I always urge you to do things the right way so that you can continue to be successful as a scrapper.

With that said, as a professional, you should approach each of the oil change places that you are considering, with some type of written agreement.

You must have a way to get rid of the waste oil in the filters responsibly as well.

Oil filter scrap metalYou can check with your city or you can also get rid of old oil at nearly all auto parts stores in the area.

Now there are some scrappers that may suggest that you simply scrap the filter as a whole.

I do not suggest this because there is always left over oil in every filter on top of that, there is also the oil drenched paper.

I like to know how much scrap metal I have and scrap yards like to know what they are getting.

Rather than driving around town trying to locate oil change shops, the best thing to do is perform a search online for local oil change places. Write down their contact information.

Instead of calling, show up first thing in the morning and speak with the owner or manager. Describe your interest in helping them.

Set up an agreement with the oil change shop to dispose of the scrap filters. You’re all set, on to the next oil change shop.

Additionally, do not take on more than you can handle. You may love and need the money but if you need help keeping up, don’t be stubborn hire someone. It is better to get help than to fall behind; clients do not want to hear excuses.