Brake fluid is crucial to making sure that your brakes run smoothly while you drive. It needs to be new and full in order to allow you to brake properly and keep you safe. Oftentimes, if you have your car serviced by a professional, you won’t have to worry about this problem. But in the event that you do need to replace it yourself, you should know how to do this safely.

Can brake fluid be recycled with motor oil? Many recycling centers that accept motor oil will accept your old brake fluid as well. This is dependent on the state you live in. Some will mix the brake fluid into motor oil, but recycling centers may not accept it if you inform them of this as they hope to recycle the individual materials for other uses.

Because there are many suitable options for disposing of the used brake fluid yourself, you shouldn’t have to mix and recycle the fluid with your motor oil. In many cases, you may still take it to the same location as the motor oil. In this article, you’ll find all the info you need for disposing of your old brake fluid in a safe way.

How Do You Dispose of Brake Fluid?

Because brake fluid is a hazardous material once you are replacing it (we will discuss these dangers later in the article), you need to make sure it is disposed of properly. Even if it hasn’t been used, it is still incredibly flammable, which still presents a clear danger. There are two different avenues you must take depending on if the brake fluid is contaminated or not.

If you are recycling uncontaminated brake fluid (may be unused or left over), it can be recycled for other uses. You will still want to keep it in a safe container that is sealed so that it does not spill (creating dangers of flammability in these areas). This means that it has not been mixed with other liquids.

You will have to take greater steps to dispose of contaminated brake fluid that is being replaced from a car. Because it has combined with heavy metals that make it toxic, you will need to take the fluid to a hazardous waste center.

When doing this, these are the steps you need to take to dispose of it:

You can remove old brake fluid with a turkey baser or similar suction device to get all of the old fluid out of the car and into a container.
Make sure you are using a container that can be sealed and keep it upright so that it prevents any spills or accidents.
Try to prevent the fluid from coming in contact with your skin or eyes as it can cause great irritation.
If you do spill the fluid, use kitty litter to absorb the liquid and allow it to dry before removal.
Once you have it in your desired container, you will want to take it to a hazardous waste center, which we have detailed in the next section.

Recycling Brake Fluid with Motor Oil

As the title of the article suggests, many people wonder if you can recycle brake fluid with motor oil. Most people that do this are looking for ways to get rid of their contaminated brake fluid but struggle to as places in their area do not take it. These sites usually take motor oil, and many recycling centers take the mixture without knowing the contents.

Once you mix contaminated brake fluid and motor oil, it cannot be used or recycled. It may get rid of the brake fluid from your possession, but it is not being recycled and really should be taken to a hazardous waste facility. You do not need to mix them in order for you to get rid of the materials. Recycling them separately in one trip can be done, but without mixing.

Brake fluid can be reused in multiple ways, and oftentimes this is not possible when the brake fluid is mixed. You will need to make sure that the brake fluid is not contaminated in order for it to be recycled.

Brake fluid is used for other applications when it is recycled:

Stripping and cleaning materials: Many automotive stores and service centers can make use of the properties found in brake fluids to clean other parts used in cars. This can also be used for home improvement projects that need similar cleaning abilities.
Alternative fuels: Recycled brake fluid is combined with other materials and substances to create other fuel sources. In the proper doses, motor oil is mixed with brake fluid.

There are recycling situations where your brake fluid will be combined with motor oil, but you should allow the facility to do this themselves in order to achieve the desired mixing quantities and ratios. Because these fluids are rich in harmful chemicals, being able to reuse them is a better option for the environment and makes better use of the materials.

Where to Dispose of Brake Fluid?

Now that you know how to remove and contain your brake fluid (and have determined if it is contaminated or not), you can pick multiple avenues for disposal. Your options are different depending on the quality of the brake fluid and the resources that are available in your area. We have broken these methods down into uncontaminated and contaminated brake fluid.

Uncontaminated Brake Fluid

Brake fluid that has not been made toxic by heavy metals or other contaminants can be recycled and used by different stakeholders. Here are some of the options for getting rid of the brake fluid:

Recycling Centers: You will need to do some research on the recycling centers in your area that will allow you to dispose of brake fluid. These centers are able to take your materials and use them in useful ways. You can find recycling centers for unused brake fluid at Recyclenation.com.
Free Collection Events: Recycling centers and other collection sites may have free collection events that allow you to dispose of your materials a couple times per month for free. This incentivizes people to get rid of these materials in a safe way with no cost to the person dropping it off.
Auto Repair Stores: If you cannot find a recycling center in your area, these stores may be able to recycle or dispose of your brake fluid. They can use it for cleaning and stripping other things in their store. Because they deal with brake fluid disposal regularly, they may be able to take this liquid from you.

Most used brake fluid will not qualify for recycling because it has become a toxic substance. But if it does, these are some of the places you can get the brake fluid out of your house and allow for other agencies to use the materials in more useful ways.

Contaminated Brake Fluid

Your options are more limited when disposing of contaminated brake fluid because they cannot be reused. This is now a hazardous material and must be taken to a hazardous waste facility. You can also call your local waste management facility and see if they can take your used contaminated brake fluid. Most counties will have a facility that you can take these to.

Similar to recycling centers, you should be able to find disposal sites for hazardous materials in your area. You can find a facility that will take care of your hazardous materials here on the EPA website! You will often have to pay a small fee to dispose of these materials, but because you do not have to change the brake fluid frequently, this is a small price to pay for proper disposal.

Small Amounts of Brake Fluid

If you have small amounts of brake fluid to dispose of, you can actually do this at home. You will need a large (preferably disposable) container that you can fill with kitty litter and the brake fluid. In order to do this, you should follow these steps.

You will want to fill your desired container with at least half an inch of kitty litter. This should be unused litter.
Pour the brake fluid over the kitty litter and make sure that there is no top on the pan. This will allow the litter to dry out.
Place the container in a place that is not near a heat source (as brake fluid is flammable) and away from a place that children or pets can have access.
Let the solution dry, which should take around 3-4 days. The brake fluid will evaporate over this time period.
Once it is dry, remove from the container and put it in a garbage bag. This can be disposed of with your other trash.

Kitty litter’s properties allow it to mix with brake fluid and evaporate as the material absorbs the liquid. This should be reserved for smaller amounts of fluid and can also be used to soak up spills of brake fluid if necessary. This is a fairly simple solution that does not require a lot of time or effort to complete and it helps us get rid of these materials safely.

Is Brake Fluid Considered Hazardous Waste?

Brake fluid, when new, is not a hazardous material and only becomes hazardous when it sits in your car for an extended period of time. Brake fluid is made with three main components: solvents, lubricating material, and additives. There are multiple types of brake fluid, most of them being classified into four primary types with different purposes:

DOT 3: These are glycol ether based materials that are not particularly dangerous on their own, but can be once reacting with the metals and contaminants in the car.
DOT 4: Made with a mix of glycol ether and borate ester. Borate ester is alcohol-based and can be incredibly flammable.
DOT 5: These are silicone-based fluids that are not particularly hazardous on their own.
DOT 5.1: Primarily composed of borate ester with some glycol ether mixed in. This type of brake fluid is typically used in vehicles that will be sitting for extended periods of time.

Brake fluids out of the container may not be hazardous waste, but they are toxic for human or animal consumption. Make sure all brake fluid is kept away from children and pets. Whether it is in a car or not, it is always a flammable material so it should be kept away from heat sources. Once the brake fluid is used in a car, it does become a hazardous material.

The Hazards of Used Brake Fluid

Brake fluid that is left in a car is a toxic material because it has had time to absorb with heavy metals such as copper and zinc. This makes the brake fluid liquid poisonous and needs to be disposed of safely when you remove it from the car.

This fluid should not be mixed with other chemicals or materials either in the car or when you get rid of it because it may cause a reaction that makes the solution even more toxic or increases flammability.

These toxic materials cannot be disposed of in your plumbing system or outside because they contain dangerous materials that can find their way into close proximity of humans and animals. There are already negative health consequences related to ingestion of unused brake fluid and this is exacerbated with heavy metal incorporation.

Some of the dangers to your health for brake fluid include (when ingested or inhaled excessively):

Eye damage
Skin irritation
Kidney and liver damage
Headache and dizziness
Nausea and drowsiness

When it is not disposed of properly, the dangers of brake fluid are increased dramatically when it is left around the home for young children and animals to get into. You need to make sure that all dangerous chemicals are kept at high enough heights and in locations where these groups do not have access to them.

Brake Fluid Disposal Options to Avoid

We have written this article to show you the importance of recycling or disposing of your brake fluid in a safe place because of the toxic properties if possesses. If we haven’t stressed this importance enough, we want to share some of the methods that should definitely be avoided for getting rid of brake fluid.

You should not dispose of brake fluid in the following ways:

Down the drain: According to Recycle San Diego, when you put brake fluid, it can seep into waterways or septic tanks that could come in contact with humans and animals. Because these are dangerous materials, it can make someone sick.
In your yard: Pouring brake fluid into your plants not only will kill plant-life in your backyard, but the run-off from rain water is not environmentally-friendly.
Storm Drains: Again, this is not a safe environmental option as you are putting toxic chemicals into the community. These toxins can make their way into other waterways and lead to worsening environmental outcomes, especially if many people are disposing of brake fluid in this way.
Garbage Cans: Putting your brake fluid into your trash can is not only unsafe, but it is messy. These liquids will seep into the plastics and metals of the trash can and be there for a long time, especially if they leak.
Public places: You should not take your brake fluid to public trash cans or pour the materials out in areas that are not recycling or disposal centers. Sometimes we want to get rid of things and not make them our problem anymore, but this can be dangerous when dealing with hazardous materials.

Taking the extra steps and effort to dispose of your brake fluid safely is very beneficial to the environment and others around you. Agencies are making these disposal options easier and easier as they are very cautious of the impact these chemicals and hazardous materials have on our community.

Recycling Your Brake Fluid Safely

Our best suggestion if to determine if your brake fluid has been contaminated and find the proper facility based on that. We do not recommend mixing the motor oil with brake fluid when you recycle it as it may not be usable. This is especially true if the brake fluid has been contaminated by sitting in a car for long periods of time.

A way to avoid this situation of disposing of brake fluid entirely is to have an automotive maintenance service replace and remove it for you when you get your car serviced. These companies are required to dispose of the fluid themselves, and this can make your life much easier if you do not want to deal with the hassle of disposal. Either way, it is important to understand the toxic qualities of used brake fluid and the importance of recycling or disposing of it properly. This helps to keep our environment, children, and pets safe from a chemical that is necessary to help our cars operate but also harmful if left in places it should not be.

Can Brake Fluid Be Recycled with Motor Oil?