Your Local Green Auto Repair Mechanics
Ashley Automotive has recognized our need to be more aware of our impact on our environment and the impact on our community. By this realization we are reducing our “carbon foot print” on our environment, largely by using renewable materials where possible. The renewable materials come into play in some of the fluids that we use on vehicles, and how we heat our facility.
Together We Can Make a Difference
Ashley Automotive uses a waste oil furnace to heat the repair space of the shop. By using this system to heat the largest portion of our facility we are reducing the amount of waste oil that must be re-refined or incinerated at a waste oil facility. We save our waste oil all year around so that we can heat the repair space during the colder months. The fuels that we can burn to heat our facility are, any oil with a flash point of 400 degrees or less, up to 90 weight. Included in this category are used motor oils, brake fluid, gear lubricants, automatic transmission fluid, industrial oils and dirty diesel fuel. What we are not able to burn in the furnace is gasoline, paint thinner, chlorinated solvents or anti-freeze. This furnace keeps the shop at a comfortable temperature for our Technicians to be able to perform to their highest ability.
- We also utilize recycled anti-freeze in our facility. The universal “green” anti-freeze that is common to use in many vehicles is also a renewable resource.
- When performing the distillation process 97% of the product is recycled.
- It is estimated that only 12% of all waste anti-freeze generated in the United States is recycled each year.
- Recycling used antifreeze makes sense for two reasons: 1) It is cost effective, and 2) It saves resources. Ethylene glycol, the primary active ingredient in antifreeze, is produced from natural gas, which is a finite, non-renewable resource. For businesses that use a lot of antifreeze, like automobile repair shops, setting up an antifreeze recycling program can significantly reduce management costs and lessen the amount of new materials purchased.
- Conventional antifreeze lasts only two or three years.
In addition to utilizing recycle anti-freeze, we also keep our old used anti-freeze to send back to our supplier to be recycled.