Deep down, you love your car. But part of this love means proper maintenance. And proper maintenance should be done with the environment in mind.

Motor oil, antifreeze and other car fluids all need to be changed on a regular basis. Many vehicle owners turn this routine maintenance into a do-it-yourself (DIY) activity.

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What you may not realize is that if car fluids are not recycled or disposed of properly, they can easily make their way into our water supply and other natural habitats. Check out Earth 911’s tips on handling your fluids responsibly.

Both antifreeze (also known as engine coolant) and motor oil can have negative impacts on the environment. Let’s go more in-depth on each product.

Motor Oil

Check out these facts:

• One gallon of oil can contaminate a million gallons of water
• Used motor oil is insoluble, persistent and can contain toxic chemicals and heavy metals
• It is slow to degrade
• Oil can stick to everything from beach sand to bird feathers
• It is a major source of contaminated waterways and polluted drinking water

Antifreeze

Consider this:

• If discarded into sewers or storm drains, antifreeze will eventually make its way into bodies of water
• As antifreeze biodegrades in large quantities of water, it lowers the level of dissolved oxygen and kills aquatic life
• Antifreeze tastes sweet (take our word for it), which makes it enticing and potentially deadly to animals and children

Another thing to consider is that these resources are also made from non-renewable resources. This makes recycling them even more important, because it preserves the resources to produce them.

Both state and local agencies have set up recycling locations for automotive fluids. To find an automotive recycling center near you, use Earth 911’s recycling locator.

Libuse Binder is the author of 10 Ways to Change the World in Your Twenties. Her work can also be seen at Weekly Way.