While walking and riding a bike are the greenest methods of transportation, they aren’t very practical for most people, especially suburbanites. Most of us need our cars to get through daily life – getting to work, shuttling kids around, etc. – so going without a vehicle isn’t really an option. But this doesn’t mean you cannot drive a car and be green. It just means you need to tweak a few things in order to be a little friendlier to the earth. Here are five things you can do to make your vehicle a little greener.
Green(ish) Tires
While tires are not the most eco-friendly products made, green consumers can still make tire choices that are friendlier to the environment. In 1987 Continental tire, a German company that acquired an American company called General Tire, became the first tire company to produce an first eco-friendly tire. The ContiEcoContact, as it was called, revolutionized the tire industry. Today, the company still produces eco-friendly tires that appeal to green drivers. Those tires can be found at TireBuyer.
Bamboo Seat Covers
Bamboo is a renewable resource that is used to manufacture numerous products. Bamboo seat covers are not only solid earth-friendly items, but they are very comfortable, too. You’ll want to find products that are made from 100 percent natural bamboo, which can be found at any retailer that sells automotive products.
Recycled Engine Oil
We all know that motor oil isn’t eco-friendly. From the exploration phase, to drilling, to the end use of the product, it mucks up the environment every step of the way. However, recycled oil lengthens its shelf life and skips a few of the aforementioned steps. Thus, it reduces the products carbon footprint along with other pollutants. NextGen motor oil by Valvoline, which is made with 50 percent recycled oil, is a great choice for those of you making earth friendly choices. Check your owner’s manual to make sure it is compatible with your ride.
Waterless Car Wash
Think about this: the standard water hose spews roughly 10 gallons of water per minute. If you use 10 minutes of water for every car wash, and wash your car once a week, then you are wasting 400 gallons of water a month. Thankfully, you have options. There are many of companies that produce waterless car wash products.
Vegetable Oil Fuel Conversion
Here is an interesting idea: modify your diesel engine so that it runs on vegetable oil. Greasecar Vegetable Fuel Systems, which doesn’t work with gasoline engines, is an affordable way of doing just that. Once your vehicle has been converted, you will need to find a source of used vegetable oil since new vegetable oil isn’t as earth friendly or economical. The payoff: you may be able to score free fuel from local restaurants. Hopefully you don’t mind smelling like French fries or take-out Chinese food.
