CCD-061: Commercial Carwash Services

Commercial car wash services are used to remove soils and stains from cars and other vehicles through operations such as washing, vacuuming, and waxing. These services may use non-biodegradable detergents, phosphates, toxic or corrosive chemicals, consume substantial amounts of water and release aquatic pollutants. These, in turn, may lead to human health impacts, the generation of photochemical smog, algal blooms, and increased mortality in fish and other aquatic organisms.

The EcoLogo^M Program addresses these challenges by establishing strict requirements for toxic substances, VOCs content, wastewater controls, phosphate builders, and biodegradability. The net benefit will be reduced human health impacts, diminished potential for photochemical smog generation, less eutrophication and toxicity in aquatic media, and decreased generation of wastewater.

To be authorized to carry the EcoLogo^M, commercial car wash services must:

• Minimize water usage;
• Properly treat wastewater prior to disposal, including
• using an interceptor, and
• appropriate disposal of the separated oil component; and
• Use cleaning supplies:
• not classified as poisonous,
• having a pH greater than 4.5 and lower than 13.5,
• containing less than 1% phosphorus, or facility cleaners containing less than 10% phosphorus, by weight, and
• Not formulated or manufactured with:
• aromatic or halogenated solvents,
• ozone depleting substances,
• more than 3% butoxy-ethanol,
• more than 5% nitriloacetic acids, or its salts,
• hydrofluoric acid, and
• non-biodegradable compounds.