Where and How to Dispose of Antifreeze Safely

If you do your own vehicle maintenance, eventually you'll have to change your antifreeze. This highly toxic chemical is vital to keep a vehicle's engine from overheating or freezing, depending on the weather, and it needs to be handled and disposed of carefully. This guide offers tips on how to dispose of antifreeze safely, including where to take it and how to recycle it.

Why It Is Important to Dispose of Antifreeze Properly

Antifreeze is necessary for vehicle maintenance, but you should handle it carefully. The primary ingredient in antifreeze is either ethylene glycol or propylene glycol, which are both toxic to all living things. It's typically a bright, fluorescent green or orange with a sweet smell, so it's attractive to children and pets who don't know better.

Antifreeze can cause organ failure, convulsions, and loss of consciousness if ingested. For all these reasons, you should dispose of it promptly and clean up spills as soon as they happen.

How to Dispose of Antifreeze

Before changing out your vehicle's antifreeze, be prepared with a disposal location. Search online for antifreeze recycling near you, and you'll likely see recycling centers, auto service stations, auto parts shops, and public landfills listed.

Call or check the websites of these locations to see if they accept the type of antifreeze you're getting rid of. If the antifreeze comes from your vehicle, collection sites will almost always consider it used. You can usually drop off your antifreeze at these locations for free. Sometimes, however, you’ll be charged a small disposal fee.

Not all disposal locations recycle. If you find one that does, it’s the more environmentally friendly option. Either way, properly disposing of antifreeze and other materials like bleach is always better than dumping it down a drain or into your yard.

DIY vs. Hiring a Pro 

Whether you don’t have the time or tools or simply don’t want the hassle, you may decide to take your vehicle to an auto mechanic to change the antifreeze. A standard coolant change costs $100 to $200 and will include disposal of the used antifreeze. Or, you may be comfortable with changing the antifreeze in your vehicle but not transporting it. In that case, a local junk removal service may be able to take it off your hands along with any other stuff you’re cleaning out of your garage.

How Much Does Professional Waste Removal Cost?

If you want the pros to dispose of antifreeze as part of a bigger garage or household clear-out, professional junk removal costs an average of $240. However, you could pay anywhere from $100 to $1,000, depending on the quantity and type of junk you have, your location, and whether there are any specific local disposal fees or permits required. Disposing of hazardous waste costs more than regular household trash because pros need to take extra precautions and find the right disposal facility for the product.