How do you dispose of diesel properly?

My local transfer station takes 5 gallons of oil for free, but they don’t have any specific rules about diesel or coolant. The guy at the auto parts store told me to just dump it in the desert. What do you do with small amounts of diesel after working on your fuel system or changing filters?

Mix it with the waste oil drum

Wynne said:
Mix it with the waste oil drum

I thought about it, but I wasn’t sure if the diesel would affect the oil in a bad way?

Mal said:

Wynne said:
Mix it with the waste oil drum

I thought about it, but I wasn’t sure if the diesel would affect the oil in a bad way?

How would it? Diesel comes from crude oil, just like motor oil. It’s fine.

Mal said:

Wynne said:
Mix it with the waste oil drum

I thought about it, but I wasn’t sure if the diesel would affect the oil in a bad way?

It’s waste oil. How much worse can it get? Diesel comes from oil too.

@Wynne
Yeah, I just didn’t know if it would mess up the recycling process or something.

Mal said:
@Wynne
Yeah, I just didn’t know if it would mess up the recycling process or something.

Nope, it will get refined again.

Just toss it back in the old IDI engine.

Orin said:
Just toss it back in the old IDI engine.

The container I used to catch it had some leftover coolant and, well, some bugs in it too.

Mal said:

Orin said:
Just toss it back in the old IDI engine.

The container I used to catch it had some leftover coolant and, well, some bugs in it too.

Quick Google search shows people just dump it back in the tank. Bugs and all!

Maybe not acceptable anymore, but you could pour it on fence posts to stop them from rotting, burn it with green wood, or spray it on your truck’s underside to prevent rust. An IDI engine can burn almost anything except gasoline, I’ve heard.

@Ari
I use roofing tar thinned with diesel. Never thought you could use just straight diesel, but that makes perfect sense now!

Just leave it in a 5-gallon bucket without a lid. Eventually, it’ll disappear on its own. Takes some time though.

Just burn it.

Gonzales said:
Just burn it.

Shut up, idiot.

A lot of shops burn waste oil to heat their garage. Diesel works fine in those systems.

I use it to kill weeds on my driveway and patio. I also throw it in my fire pit to help get the fire going. But I’m not too smart, so don’t take my word for it.

Peyton said:
I use it to kill weeds on my driveway and patio. I also throw it in my fire pit to help get the fire going. But I’m not too smart, so don’t take my word for it.

I put a little in my Cheerios every morning.

I burn it with my recycling.

Ask your local fire department. Sometimes they take it for training purposes.