Enterprise, Universal Close the Motor Oil Recycling Loop

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Enterprise Rent-A-Car and its sister companies have announced a partnership with Universal Lubricants to recycle used motor oil and put it back into action.

Universal will collect the spent motor oil from Enterprise, Alamo Rent a Car and National Car Rental locations, starting with airport service centers in five states. The motor oil company will then re-refine the waste fluid, using it to make Eco Ultra high performance motor oil, which is certified by the American Petroleum Institute.

The Enterprise Holdings subsidiaries have agreed to buy Eco Ultra in the same markets where Universal is collecting the used oil – creating a cycle of re-use that the companies say “will repeat itself over and over again”.

"Too often business ventures are seen as diametrically opposed to environmental interests," said John Wesley, chief executive officer of Universal Lubricants. "The collaboration between Universal Lubricants and Enterprise Rent-A-Car contests that very assumption, providing a shining example of the innovation and possibility that arises when a commitment to customer service fuses with formidable environmental stewardship."

Universal says that the U.S. produces about 1.3 billion gallons of used oil every year, but only about ten percent of it is re-refined. The rest is either improperly disposed of, damaging the environment, or burned as industrial fuel.

The company already collects used oil from government entities and private businesses, including auto parts stores, dealerships, service stations, and oil change centers, across the U.S.

Universal re-refines the oil at a Wichita, Kan., facility, using a hydro-treating process to remove all of the water, fuel and solvents as well as metals, asphalt flux and other heavy contaminants. The purified Grade II base stock oil is then blended with high performance additives to make Eco Ultra products.

The company's rival Valvoline recently introduced a 50 percent recycled motor oil, NextGen.

Environment + Energy Leader