California and Florida are more environmentally aware than most other states; this is due, to consumers in these states having a greater awareness of environmental issues, helped along, in California at least, by regulation



Practicing good car care means you are helping protect our lakes and streams. How does caring for your car affect our lakes and streams? Storm drains found in our streets and roadside ditches lead to our lakes and streams. So, if dirty water from washing our cars or motor fluids are dumped or washed into the storm drain, it pollutes our local waterways.



Here are some simple steps you can take to care for your car and help keep our water clean. Give them a try. A few simple changes can make a big difference



• Wash it on the grass. If you wash your car at home, consider washing it on the lawn. Or, if you can`t use the lawn, try to direct the dirty water towards the lawn and away from the storm drain.

• Reduce the amount of soap you use.

• Keep your vehicle properly tuned and use the owner`s manual to guide decisions about how often it is necessary to change fluids such as oil and antifreeze.

• Take advantage of business expertise. Consider taking your vehicle to the shop to have the oil and other fluids changed. These businesses have the ability to recycle the used materials and clean up accidental spills.

• Recycle. If you choose to change your oil and other fluids yourself, label the waste containers. Then, take them to your community`s household hazardous waste collection day or to a business that accepts used oil. Never dump used oil, antifreeze, or other fluids on the ground or down the storm drain.

• Soak it up. Use kitty litter promptly to absorb small amounts of spilled vehicle fluids. Then sweep it into a bag and throw it in the trash.

• Do it under cover. Whenever possible, perform vehicle maintenance in a well-ventilated, but covered location (e.g., garage). This minimizes the potential for rainfall to wash those inevitable spills and drips into our lakes and streams.



For more information – Semcog - SEMCOG



Biodegradable:



[: generally organic material such as plant and animal matter and other substances originating from living organisms, or artificial materials that are similar enough to plant and animal matter to be put to use by micro-organisms]1



There is no legal definition of biodegradable, but the American Society for Testing and Materials defines the term as [a degradation caused by biological activity, especially by enzymatic action, leading to a significant change in the chemical structure of the material]



Of all the environmental buzzwords, biodegradable has perhaps been the most misused and is perhaps the most difficult to understand. Because in the past there have been no guidelines or regulations, many products have called themselves biodegradable without any real justification.



Unfortunately, the word biodegradable has frequently been applied to products that generally aren`t (such as detergents or plastics) and almost never used for products that really are (such as soap or paper).



A biodegradable product [:has the ability to break down, safely and relatively quickly, by biological means, into the raw materials of nature and disappear into the environment ] These products can be solids biodegrading into the soil (which we also refer to as compost able), or liquids biodegrading into water. Products labelled "biodegradable" cannot be legally released into storm water drains.

Biodegradable does not guarantee Health or Safety, just because a product or ingredient is biodegradable does not mean it is healthy or safe for people or the environment. For example, the toxic pesticide DDT biodegrades to the compounds DDD and DDE, both of which are more toxic and more dangerous than the original DDT itself.



Environmentally friendly



[: means that the product does not contain toxins or carcinogenic components as defined by the various government agencies] however, many synthetic organic chemicals don`t occur in nature and no natural enzymes exist to break them down. As a result, many petrochemicals remain in the environment for a long time and, because some are also extremely toxic, that means they cause serious problems



Containment Systems:



One should never assume that aqueous solutions can be disposed of untreated via the storm drainage system. Pending regulations are in place (Clean Water Act and Ground Water Pollution) to limit the amount of contaminated water that is allowed to be discharged into storm water systems (i.e. street vehicle washing)



It is an offence for anyone to cause or knowingly permit: the entry into surface waters or groundwater of solid waste matter, or of poisonous, noxious or polluting matter, or the discharge of trade and sewage effluent into surface waters or groundwater without prior consent from the Environmental Regulator)



A containment mat that will withstand the chemicals used in automobile, marine, and aviation washing and refinishing applications that would allow the water to be contained and then pumped into an optional holding tank preventing run-off contamination into rivers, lakes, bays and oceans, that will be in compliance with the discharge guidelines established by the Clean Water Act and the Environmental Protection Agency and other local regulations regarding wastewater runoff / containment may be the answer. Vacuboom



Inflatable Wash Pad - simply roll out the mat and inflate it with the blower supplied. Drive the vehicle on to the inflated mat and you have a fully portable wash pad. When the vehicle drives onto the floor the edges bend and then return upright - Inflatable Wash Pads - Liquid Tight Floor



Here is a statement from the UK’s environment agency’s (EPA)



[Effluent and run-off from vehicle washing and cleaning activities can damage the environment and pollute rivers, streams, burns and groundwater. Dirt, brake dust, traffic film residue and oil that are washed off are all pollutants. The cleaning agents you use (including those labelled biodegradable or traffic film removers) are very poisonous to aquatic life. If you cause pollution, you are breaking the law and spoiling your environment. Dirty water or run-off from vehicle washing and cleaning carried out as a business or industrial activity is called trade effluent. Whether you’re cleaning just one vehicle or responsible for a large lorry (truck0 fleet, you must arrange for collection and disposal of effluent to prevent pollution. It’s illegal to discharge trade effluent to the environment or into drains without permission]

You should never assume that aqueous solutions can be disposed of untreated via the storm drainage system. Pending regulations are in place (Clean Water Act and Ground Water Pollution) to limit the amount of contaminated water that is allowed to be discharged into storm water systems (i.e. street vehicle washing)