July Conservation Challenge - Maintain Your Car Properly

Big spills may dominate headlines, but consumers account for the vast majority of oil pollution in our waters, including oil and gasoline that drips from millions of cars and trucks every day. Car owners can therefore make a big impact on the environment by ensuring that their cars do not leak oil, antifreeze or coolant.

Nearly half of the estimated 1 million tons of oil that makes its way into marine environments each year comes not from tanker spills but from land-based sources such as factories, farms, and cities. At sea, tanker spills account for about 10 percent of the oil in waters around the world, while regular operations of the shipping industry—through both legal and illegal discharges—contribute about one-third. 

In addition to proper maintenance, wash your car on the grass so the dirt and soap do not flow down the driveway and into the nearest storm drain. Better yet, wash your car at a commercial car wash, where the wash water is recycled and eventually flows to a wastewater treatment plant.