Motor Oil Recycling Increases in County

The list of Ventura County stores willing to buy used motor oil for recycling has tripled this year, as the state-sponsored push to reduce waste and prevent illegal dumping has taken off, state officials said.

The decisions by several major companies to begin purchasing recycled oil products have contributed to a jump in statewide sales, from 6,000 gallons in January to more than 50,000 gallons in October, according to the California Integrated Waste Management Board.

Since the program to reclaim used oil began in April, 1993, Ventura County residents have recycled 74,000 gallons. And in the past six months, officials said, county stores participating in the buy-back program jumped from six to 21.

“We’re asking people to sell back their oil to prevent them from dumping it illegally,” said Liza Smith, a management board spokeswoman. “In addition, it helps save our valuable oil resources.”

Stores acting as oil collection centers will pay 16 cents per gallon of used oil, a management board official said.

Those centers in Ventura County are Adamson Auto Repair, 214 S. Bryant St., Ojai; Chief Auto Parts, 2375 Sycamore Drive, Simi Valley, and 150 W. Laurel St., Oxnard; Dowler’s Tune-Up & Smog, 820 E. 5th St., Oxnard, and Easy Oil, 77 Park Lane, Unit F, Moorpark.

More are Gabriels Independent Auto Repair, 65 W. Baldwin Road, Ojai; Jiffy Lube, 2905 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, 274 Arneill Road, Camarillo, and 1098 E. Thompson Blvd., Ventura; Lube Pit Stop, 2170 1st St., and 4560 Los Angeles Ave., both in Simi Valley, and Ojai Valley Imports, 996 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai.

Others include Parnelli Jones Inc. locations at 2787 Daily Drive, Camarillo; 355 Ventura St., Fillmore; 108 E. Harvard Blvd., Santa Paula; 955 S. A St., Oxnard, and 918 E. Thompson Blvd., Ventura.

Also Pep Boys, 2099 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks; Poole Oil Co., 3885 Vineyard Ave., Oxnard; Tune-Ups Plus, 801 E. Main St., Santa Paula, and Ventura Oil Co., 3815 Vineyard Ave., Oxnard.