Our Commitment to the Environment
As a team, we can protect our children’s future through environmental responsibility. Within the automotive industry, there are certainly easier and less expensive options for the management and disposal of products and resources, but we approach all of our business decisions from a long-term perspective. We believe that the positive environmental impact we make today is the footprint for tomo
rrow.
At all of our businesses, we recycle 100% of all petroleum products, antifreeze, transmission fluid, and Freon; recycle 85% - 95% of the water used in washing your vehicle; and Lube Center and Auto Repair sites serve as official used oil drop off centers. We crush oil and other automotive fluid filters prior to disposal to eliminate excess oil and chemicals and to reduce the space used in our landfills. We use all biodegradable cleaning products; cleaning rags are washed and re-used, never disposed of; and equipment motors are continuously staggered to reduce our overall energy consumption.
Official Used Oil Drop-Off Centers
All Lube Center and Auto Repair sites serve as official used oil drop-off centers. Individuals who dispose of their oil at home through the garbage or down the storm drain may not be aware of the significant harm this can have on the environment. Once in the storm drain, the oil will run to rivers, lakes and streams and contaminate the water supply. Keep our water clean and protect local wildlife by bringing your used oil to us so it can be recycled.
Not only does recycling your oil protect the environment, but it provides new resources. Oil can be reprocessed and burned for heat in furnaces or in power plants that generate electricity to your home, school or business. Oil can also be refined and transformed into a base for lubrication oil for factory and other types of machinery. According to the American Petroleum Institute, just two gallons of recycled oil can generate enough electricity to power the average American household for a whole day.
The Eco-Friendly Way to Wash Your Vehicle
When you wash your car at home, the excess water is full of harmful residue from gas, oil and exhaust fumes in addition to the detergent that you use. Washing it in your driveway sends this mixture into storm drains which lead to rivers, streams and creeks where the chemicals poison aquatic life and destroy other ecosystems.
To avoid pollution of the ground around our sites, the Auto Spa uses only biodegradable cleaning products. Our products meet the criteria for human and environmental health as set forth by the EPA’s Design for the Environment program.
We build state-of-the-art water reclamation systems beneath all Auto Spa sites to enable us to recycle 85% - 95% of the water used in washing your vehicle, something that cannot be done while washing at home. According to the International Car Wash Association, one driveway wash can use over 120 gallons of water while the Auto Spa consumes only 25 gallons of fresh water per wash. With global warming concerns and increased droughts in many regions, it is very important to recognize the value of water conservation in our everyday lives.
Every day we continuously stagger our equipment to conserve our resources and reduce our overall energy consumption.
Crushing Oil & Fluid Filters
To maintain our vehicles, oil and other automotive fluid filters are changed on a very frequent basis. If simply thrown away as trash, they take up significant space in our landfills while carrying toxic fluids that can pollute the local environment.
While these filters are not yet able to be recycled, we take an extra step and crush all oil and fluid filters prior to disposal. The crushing process removes excess fluid remaining in the filter and compresses the filter to reduce the landfill space used by 75%.
Landfills generate methane gas, which is harmful to the earth’s atmosphere and considered a major contributor to global climate change. Reducing the chemicals and other non-biodegradable materials in the landfills means a healthier environment for all of us to enjoy.