Was reading an old trade journal and the numbers on coolant waste blew my mind

Viola Schmidt · 2026-03-10T14:25:04.823719+00:00

Found a 2012 article from Modern Machine Shop that said a single medium sized shop can generate over 10,000 gallons of used coolant a year. I always knew it was a lot, but that's a whole tanker truck. Makes you think about the disposal side of things, doesn't it? What's the best way your shop handles the old sump juice?

eva_lewis6mo ago

10,000 gallons from one shop is a crazy number to see written down. That's not just a few drums, that's a whole environmental headache on wheels.

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gibson.felix7mo ago

Our local shop switched to a closed-loop coolant recycler last year. They told me it cut their waste volume by almost 70 percent, which is just wild. It used to be a constant stream of drums heading out the back door.

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thomasw487mo ago

That "whole tanker truck" line really got me. I used to think it was just a few drums here and there. Seeing that number makes our shop's recycling program feel way more important than I gave it credit for.

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