During National Car Care Month, Universal Lubricants Encourages Fleet Operators, Auto Service Shops and Individual Car Owners to Drive Sustainability Measures Forward

WICHITA, Kan., April 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- With April recognized as National Car Care Month and the upcoming celebration of Earth Day, Universal Lubricants is taking this opportunity to send a message to fleet operators, automotive service shops and individual drivers alike - now is the time to consider engine maintenance options that are both good for the environment and good for the pocketbook.

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As one of the Nation's premier providers of re-refined engine oils, Universal Lubricants' business premise rests on the principle that performance-driven automotive care products and practices can -- and should -- be eco-friendly, too.

For example, the simplest way to keep your engine humming healthily is to perform regular tune-ups. On average, a needed service tune-up improves a vehicle's gas mileage by 4 percent. And the most pivotal element of an auto tune-up? The motor oil change. Making best practices even better,  Universal Lubricants is proud to promote re-refined motor oil such as its full line of ECO ULTRA® Synthetic Blend Engine Oils. Sourced from used motor oil and re-refined into a performance driven, environmentally sensitive product, ECO ULTRA® oils are American Petroleum Institute (API) licensed. They're also both original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) approved.

"During National Car Care Month—and all year long—drivers can make a difference. Using re-refined oil cuts fossil fuel use, lowers greenhouse gas emissions and reduces harmful environmental impacts related to improper disposal," said John Wesley, Universal Lubricants' chief executive officer. "And precisely because options like ECO ULTRA® are refined more than once, they're as good, if not better, than engine oils made from virgin crude oil. This means alternatives like ECO ULTRA® boost engine performance for longer intervals, reducing the frequency for oil changes. And that translates into significant savings."

It takes two 42-gallon barrels of crude to produce 1 gallon of motor oil. In addition to saving crude oil for other uses, the process of re-refining waste engine oil uses up to 89% less energy and releases up to 65% less harmful emissions when compared to refining crude oil for the same purpose. Independent studies have shown re-refined products reduce engine wear which leads to fewer oil changes, reduced oil consumption, and better gas mileage. This is good news for the environment, the economy at large, and of course, for the pockets of every American driver.

Each year, the U.S. produces approximately 1.3 billion gallons of used motor oils, only 10 percent of which is re-refined.  The rest is either improperly disposed of (damaging the environment) or burned as an industrial fuel, wasting limited petroleum reserves and perpetuating the need to import foreign oil. With our Closed Loop Process™ , Universal Lubricants has dedicated itself to reversing this trend by becoming the sole refinery with complete control over every aspect of this proprietary system. Universal Lubricants collects, re-refines, blends, packages and redistributes its own high quality oil, the ECO ULTRA® line—without ever losing guardianship within the chain—in an infinitely repeatable, sustainable cycle.

"This April and this Earth Day, go green to get more green," added Wesley. "When it comes to sensible and responsible automotive engine care practices, it's as simple as that."

For more information about Universal Lubricants' ECO ULTRA® products, visit www.ecoultraoil.com.

About Universal Lubricants

Since its founding in 1929, Universal Lubricants has balanced tradition with innovation to emerge over the past four decades as the American leader in used oil collection, new oil refining and distribution. The company collects, re-refines blends and re-distributes its own engine oil—never losing guardianship within the chain—to ensure that every quart, every gallon is of the highest quality for optimal performance. With our Closed Loop Process™, Universal Lubricants boasts a national presence, supplying ECO ULTRA® throughout the country by operating 28 facilities in 14 states. This includes one of the world's most technologically advanced re-refineries in Wichita, Kansas. Altogether, the company employs 380 American workers and is a Pegasus Capital Advisors portfolio company.

A leader in R&D and in the marketplace, Universal Lubricants will continue to drive progress and drive performance in the engine oil industry. For more information visit www.universallubes.com.

SOURCE Universal Lubricants