In partnership with the County of Orange and the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle), the City of Los Alamitos offers free recycling of your used motor oil, motor filters, and boat bilge pads. Proper disposal of these items is important for the environment – used motor oil is insoluble, persistent, and can contain toxic chemicals and heavy metals; it is also slow to degrade and stick to everything from beach sand to bird feathers. Improper disposal of oil is a major source of oil contamination of waterways and can result in pollution of drinking water sources – used oil from one oil change can contaminate one million gallons of fresh water, which is the equivalent of one years’ supply for 50 people.

Local certified locations at which you are able to dispose of your used oil and filters are the following: 

There is no paperwork involved and no requirements to provide identification in order to participate. Please note, contaminated used motor oil should be disposed of at a local hazardous waste facility – the County of Orange Waste & Recycling offers three locations including: 

1. Anaheim Collection Center at 1071 N. Blue Gum Street, 92086
2. Huntington Beach Collection Center at 17121 Nichols Lane, 92647, Gate 6
3. Irvine Collection Center at 6411 Oak Canyon, 92618, and (4) San Juan Capistrano Collection Center at 32250 Avenida La Pata, 92675 

Disposal of Boat Bilge Pads

 Did you know that bilge pads for boats play an important role in keeping ocean water free of contamination? When properly placed in the bilge, these pads can help ensure boaters only pump clean water back into the ocean. If you are a Los Alamitos resident and own a boat, you may recycle your old bilge pads and receive new pads at eligible locations free of cost. Local locations at which you are able to dispose of your used bilge are the following: 

Additional Resources:

CalRecycle  - Click here to learn more about CalRecycle 

County of Orange - Click here to learn more about the County of Orange and the Oil Program 

OC Landfill - Click here to learn more about OC Waste & Recycling