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Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) introduces cradle-to-cradle environmental program for waste lubricants operated by Safety-Kleen - Environmental Communication Options/Huff Strategy

Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) introduces cradle-to-cradle environmental program for waste lubricants operated by Safety-Kleen

Dec 16th, 2009 5:29 AM

SAFETY-KLEEN CANADA TO OPERATE CRADLE-TO-CRADLE ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM FOR TORONTO TRANSIT COMMISSION WASTE LUBRICANTS TTC choice to re-refine waste lubricants and reuse them in TTC fleet reduces energy use, greenhouses gases and heavy metal emissions BRESLAU, ON (December 16, 2009) - Safety-Kleen Canada Inc., has been awarded a three year contract by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to recover and re-refine 600,000 liters of used lubricants generated annually by the TTC fleet. The used lubricants recovered from the TTC will be physically and chemically treated in a state-of-the-art re-refining process and then returned to the TTC for use in its fleet. Since 1989 the TTC's fleet has been using between 500,000 and 740,000 liters of Safety-Kleen's re-refined lubricants annually. With the award of this tender Safety-Kleen will be both providing re-refined lubricants to the TTC and recovering waste oil for re-refining. This three year contract effectively closes the loop with regard to TTC's lubricant needs with a comprehensive cradle-to-cradle environmental management system. The recovered lubricants will be processed by Safety-Kleen in its re-refinery in Breslau, Ontario, which re-refines more than 150 million liters of used motor and industrial oils annually. "I am very pleased that the TTC is seeking to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with its fleet operations by having its used motor oils re-refined. It is a responsible and practical way to contribute to the City's environmental policies and efforts," said Toronto City Councillor Adam Giambrone, Chair of the Toronto Transit Commission. "Safety-Kleen is proud to assist the TTC with closing the loop on its wastes and reducing its greenhouse gas emissions," said Dale MacIntyre, Vice President of refining for Safety-Kleen. "Re-refining used lubricants is widely recognized as the most energy efficient and environmentally effective way to reduce greenhouse gases and waste associated with the production, use and end-of-life management of lubricants." Re-refining offers the following environmental benefits: • Producing engine oil from used lubricants generates 2.85 kg (or 80 percent) less greenhouse gases per liter than producing it from crude oil; • Over the three year contact Safety-Kleen will re-refine 1.8 million liters of used TTC lubricants and will provide an equal amount of re-refined lubricants for use in TTC vehicles. This will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 3.9 million kilograms as compared to manufacturing the same lubricants from crude oil. • The greenhouse gas savings will be equivalent to taking 239 passenger vehicles off of the road annually; and, • Re-refining used oil, rather than burning it as waste derived fuel in industrial boilers and asphalt plants, prevents the discharge into the environment of such toxic substances as arsenic, benzene, cadmium, chromium, inorganic nickel, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and lead. Safety-Kleen's re-refined lubricants meet or exceed the highest automotive performance standards set by the American Petroleum Institute. About Safety-Kleen Safety-Kleen is a leading North American used oil recycling and re-refining, parts cleaning and environmental solutions company, with approximately 4,300 employees serving approximately 330,000 customer locations in Canada, United States, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Safety-Kleen provides a broad set of environmentally-responsible products and services that keep North American businesses in balance with the environment. Safety-Kleen is also a major supplier of lubricating, hydraulic, way and gear oils to the automotive industry, and its products are also widely used by federal, provincial and municipal government fleets, private fleets and the military. For more information, please visit our website: www.safety-kleen.com and http://www.ecopoweroil.com/