Burning trash and keeping the car clean: what is more environmentally friendly: washing my car myself or going to the local car wash?What is more environmentally friendly Environmentally friendly, also referred to as nature friendly, is a term used to refer to goods and services considered to inflict minimal harm on the environment.[1] : washing my car myself or going to the local car wash?--Jim, Denton, TX Few people realize that washing cars in the driveway is one of our most environmentally unfriendly chores. Unlike household wastewater that enters sewers or septic septic /sep·tic/ (sep´tik) pertaining to sepsis. sep·tic adj. 1. Of, relating to, having the nature of, or affected by sepsis. 2. systems before it is discharged into the environment, the runoff from your car goes right into storm drains--and eventually into rivers, streams, creeks and wetlands. Wastewater is loaded with a witch's brew of gasoline, oil and residues from exhaust fumes--as well as the harsh detergents used for the washing itself. Federal laws in both the U.S. and Canada require commercial carwash facilities to drain their wastewater into sewer systems, so it gets treated before it is discharged. And commercial car washes use computer-controlled systems and high-pressure nozzles and pumps that minimize water usage. Many also recycle and re-use rinse water. The International Carwash Association, an industry group representing commercial car wash companies, reports that automatic car washes use less than half the water of even the most careful home car washer. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. one report, washing a car at home typically uses between 80 and 140 gallons of water, while a commercial car wash averages less than 45 gallons per car. If you must wash your car at home, choose a biodegradable soap such as Simple Green's Car Wash or Gliptone's Wash 'n Glow. Or you can make your own biodegradable solution by mixing one cup of liquid dishwashing detergent and 3/4 cup of powdered laundry detergent (each should be chlorine- and phosphate-free and non-petroleum-based) with three gallons of water. Even when using green-friendly cleaners, it is better to avoid the driveway and instead wash your car on your lawn or over dirt so that the toxic waste toxic waste is waste material, often in chemical form, that can cause death or injury to living creatures. It usually is the product of industry or commerce, but comes also from residential use, agriculture, the military, medical facilities, radioactive sources, and water can be absorbed and neutralized neu·tral·ize tr.v. neu·tral·ized, neu·tral·iz·ing, neu·tral·iz·es 1. To make neutral. 2. To counterbalance or counteract the effect of; render ineffective. 3. in soil instead of flowing directly into storm drains or open water bodies. One way to avoid such problems altogether is to wash your car with waterless formulas, which are especially handy for spot cleaning and are applied via spray bottle A Spray Bottle is a bottle that can squirt, spray or mist fluids. A common use for spray bottles is dispensing cleaners, cosmetics, and chemical specialties. While spray bottles existed before the middle of the 20th century, they used a rubber bulb, which was squeezed; the and then wiped off with a cloth. Freedom Waterless Car Wash A technique used to wash a vehicle without the use of water. This technique uses a product that contains many different ingredients, including wetting agents, lubricants and protectants. is a leading product in this growing field. CONTACT: International Carwash Association, www.carcarecentral.com; Simple Green, www.simplegreen.com; Freedom Waterless Car Wash, www.freedomwatedesscarwash.com; Puget Sound Puget Sound (py  `jĕt), arm of the Pacific Ocean, NW Wash., connected with the Pacific by Juan de Fuca Strait, entered through the Admiralty Inlet and extending in two arms c. Carwash Association,
www.charitycarwash.org.
Send your questions about environmental issues to Earth Talk, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881, or e-mail earthtalk@emagazine.com Help get Earth Talk into your community by asking your local newspaper editor to visit our informational page at: www.emagazine.com/EarthTalk/EarthTalk_letter.html. |
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