Anti-freeze disposal

Dana

Getting ready to de-winterize in Colorado in a couple of weeks.  

Question:  What do I do with the anti-freeze? Can't find any help on Colorado website or Gunnison County info. 

Horigan

Check auto parts stores, or an auto repair shop, for disposal.

JamesC

Someone correct me if I’m wrong but if you used the pink RN antifreeze it’s non-toxic and biodegradable. No special disposal is necessary. You can just drain it out and then rinse the system with fresh water. 

bergger

It is still best not to drain it on the ground if you can avoid it.  It can still kill grass or plants.  Collect it and dump it in your toilet.  It's fine to go into your septic or towns water treatment plant. Or it you want to you can drop it off at the local auto parts store and they should dispose of it with toxic antifreezes.  

VictoriaP

The pink antifreeze in the water lines is propylene glycol. It’s a common food additive and found in toiletries,  considered non toxic, so disposing of it down your house wastewater system or at an RV dump station is fine. I drain mine into a bucket or small portable waste tank and send it down the house toilet. 

Mickerly

I found a number of states, but not Colorado. There is a lot of variation from one state/province to the next. A common thread centers around the ease of recycling. Every state/province I looked at either required or recommended recycling rather than poring into the city water system.

Most auto repair or parts places will take used "anti-freeze" for recycling. I pored my into the empty bottles and took it to the city chemical recycling center. It seemed a prudent course.

The "safe for septic tank" debate has no real studies or data that I could find. Studies appear to indicate it will break down within 1 to 3 weeks when exposed to ground water. It is injected into food and cosmetics to kill bacteria and fungus. I would recommend not dumping into a septic system because of the potential death of the bacteria that makes the septic tank work. If it did harm the bacteria, the fix is rather expensive. Just not worth the risk when a drive to the auto parts store has no ill effects. 

Technically, it's not on the EPA hazardous chemical list. In the very low concentrations used for preserving food and cosmetics, there is on ill effects to humans. The 50/50 mix we use is similar to the mix used for aircraft de-icing. This appears to be more toxic than people first thought; studies pending.... Again, there is no agreement between agencies. There is nothing restricting you from letting it go down the driveway unless you can find a local ordnance. It will breakdown into harmless chemicals in 1 to 3 weeks.

Jay_and_Kat

A recommendation I was given on Reddit for this same question was to rinse out your lines but don't drain your grey / black tanks.  When you get to your campsite, if it has a dump station, or if you pass a public dump station on your way, stop in, drain the grey / black tanks including running the black tank rinse.

Although I'm still leaning towards the "drain into a bucket and dump down the toilet" option, just to get the camper de-winterized sooner...

Dana

Thanks all, that was very helpful.  Right now I can't get to my Tab anyway, too much snow!