This is probably the best-kept secret: dealers can get money from the State!  First, look at your new oil (or ATF, gear oil) bill.  You will see a $0.16 fee for every gallon of oil purchased.  You can get this fee back.  All you have you do is become a Used Oil Recycling Center.  Believe me, there are hundreds of them in L.A. County, so jump on the smart money bandwagon.  Dealers, depending upon their oil use, have been getting up to four to five thousand dollars annually.  Also, as a business helping to keep the environment clean adds a big plus to your image in the community.

Basically, all the used oil generated at the dealership during the normal course of business is eligible for this $0.16 per gallon if the dealership becomes part of the California Used Oil Certification Program.

Celly Services, Inc. (CSI) can assist the dealership in completing the application to become a Center. Some of the requirements for such a center are:

• Accept oil from public at no charge and offer $0.16/G to them. The fear that unsightly homeless in pajamas will show up with a gallon of used oil in your drive is unfounded. No dealership on the program (CSI client) has ever seen them in the drive with oil.
• If taking oil from the public contaminates your oil, the state will reimburse you for incremental costs for disposal due to contamination presuming the source of contamination was public oil (up to a maximum of $5,000).
• You must place an advertisement in your coupon mailer or sales advertisement twice a year stating that you are a “ Used Oil Recycling Center” and accept used oil.  For L.A. and Orange counties, even this is unnecessary, as the county will place the dealers’ names as an oil recycling center on their own web site for free (along with hundreds of other oil recycling sites).
• The dealership should not take more than 20 gallons of oil a day from the public and not more than 5 gallons a day from one single person.

The dealership must post a sign on the driveway. The sign is provided by the state for free.

Download:  November 2005 Newsletter