What Dominates, the Environment or Economics?
Recycling helps keep ethylene glycol and heavy metals out of sewers, streams and ground water. However, it also eliminates the disposal costs of paying someone to haul away your old antifreeze. It also eliminates the need to dispose of plastic jugs that new antifreeze comes in (although #2 HDPE plastic jugs themselves can be recycled if your have a plastic recycling program in your area). Be sure to promote the fact that your shop is doing everything it can to be environmentally friendly, including recycling used coolant. Tout the benefits of recycling and invite your customers to bring you their vehicles when it is time to change the coolant. Some motorists may actually be willing to pay a little extra for recycling if they believe it helps the environment. Whatever method you use to replace the coolant in your customer’s vehicle, do a top-notch job of servicing the entire cooling system. Pressure-test the system and radiator cap, inspect the belts and hoses, and use distilled water i
