According to Safety-Kleen, "Green-minded"
consumers now have an additional way to help
the environment by buying recycled motor oil
from Safety-Kleen. For the past 20 years,
Safety-Kleen has produced high quality motor
oils for large commercial fleets and the
federal government by re-refining used oil
the company collects at thousands of car
dealerships, automotive retailers and quick
lube facilities across North America.
Now, Safety-Kleen is making its re-refined
oil available to consumers under the brand
name EcoPower®. The company is targeting
retailers and distributors in the top 100
U.S. markets to offer the new product,
including AutoZone.
"Our research shows that consumers are ready
for a new category of motor oil - recycled
motor oil - with EcoPower," said Fred
Florjancic, president and CEO of
Safety-Kleen. "It's one of the most exciting
introductions in the motor oil category in
more than a decade. There is definitive
market demand in today's market for motor oil
that delivers superior value in performance
and protection in a more environmentally
friendly way."
In 2008, Safety-Kleen collected more than 225
million gallons of used oil and recycled
approximately 140 million of it into base oil
products for re-use in the marketplace.
Safety-Kleen's re-refined oil meets or
exceeds all applicable specifications set by
the American Petroleum Institute (API) and
the Society of Automotive Engineers, and is
currently used by many large organizations,
including the U.S. military, numerous state
governments and automotive fleets.
The process for re-refining used oil is
virtually the same as refining crude oil.
Both go through the same exacting processes
of distillation and hydro treating. The end
product is identical to traditional motor
oils made from crude and must meet the same
specifications.
"Expanding our current relationships with
leading retailers, fleets, oil change service
shops, and distributors helps us take this
premium quality product directly to consumers
who are now demanding more green
alternatives," said Florjancic. "We are
projecting significant demand for the
EcoPower products in the coming months."
Florjancic says recycling used motor oil not
only conserves a valuable natural resource,
but also protects surface waters and
groundwater supplies against potential
contamination from improperly disposed used
oil. According to the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, recovering the motor oil
from one oil change of a typical automobile
protects a million gallons of drinking water
- a year's supply for 5,479 people.
Re-refining also saves energy. It takes up to
85 percent less energy to produce a gallon of
re-refined oil from used oil than to produce
that same oil from a gallon of crude.
"The end result of Safety-Kleen's re-refining
used oil is that it avoids the emission of
more than 300,000 metric tons of greenhouse
gases each year when compared to refining
from crude and burning used oil for energy,"
said Florjancic. "That is equivalent to
taking more than 200,000 cars off the road
each and every year."
EcoPower motor oil is now available in 5W-20,
5W-30, 10W-30 and 15W-40 viscosity grades. In
addition, all major U.S. car manufacturers
have approved the use of Safety-Kleen SAE
5W-20, 5W-30 and 10W-30 ILSAC-certified motor
oil in all their cars. The EcoPower SAE
15W-40 grade has also been approved by
leading heavy-duty engine manufacturers.
"We're committed to making EcoPower available
through retailers for motorists that change
their own oil and through oil change outlets
for motorists who have their oil changed
professionally," said Florjancic. "We intend
to reach consumers with the best
environmentally friendly motor oil on the
market today."
