Environmentally sound handling of oil, refrigerant and waste

A car workshop produces a wide range of waste types that must not end up in the sewer or in nature: waste oil used filters brake fluid coolant batteries tyres and refrigerant from air conditioning. As a mechanic you share responsibility for it being handled correctly. Environmentally responsible behaviour is not an afterthought — it is part of being professionally competent.

§Spilled water and grease make floors slippery, and falls are one of the most common workplace accidents in kitchens — that's why spillage is wiped up immediately.

Waste oil is hazardous waste. The workshop must collect it separately and deliver it to an authorized receiver — it follows from environmental regulations.

§Refrigerant and F-gases — requires authorisation

The air conditioning unit's refrigerant is often an F-gas (fluorine-containing greenhouse gas) and must under no circumstances be released into the atmosphere. It must be drained with appropriate equipment that collects and recovers the gas. Service of car air conditioning — draining, evacuation and refilling — requires proper equipment and a person with the necessary authorization/certification. Never drain a system haphazardly.

§Batteries

Common starter batteries contain lead and acid and must be handed over for recycling. High-voltage batteries from electric and hybrid vehicles are a completely different category: they are heavy, energy-rich, and can pose fire and electrical hazards if damaged. They must be handled, stored, and disposed of according to special rules and by persons with the right training. A damaged HV battery is never ordinary scrap.

§Sorting at the workshop

• 01Waste oil and fluids
• 02Brake, cooling and gear fluids — kept separate from each other and from oil.
• 03Refrigerant — collected at station, never released; climate service only with authorisation.
• 04Batteries — starter and HV batteries separately for approved reception.
• 05Tires, metal, glass, and packaging — sorted for recycling.
• 06Waste oil is hazardous waste and must be collected separately and delivered to an authorized receiver — never poured into drains or mixed with other waste. The same applies to brake fluid, coolant (antifreeze), gear oil, and other fluids. Keep fluid types separate so they can be recycled or treated correctly, and wipe up spillage immediately so it doesn't seep into the floor or drain.

§Documentation and attitude

Proper waste disposal is typically documented so it can be proven that waste has been delivered to approved reception. This protects both the environment and the workshop from liability. The good mechanic does not see environmental rules as a nuisance but as part of the trade: we leave neither the car nor nature in worse condition than we found it.