Do you realize over 500 million gallons of motor oil are purchased in the nation each year? Furthermore, about 50 percent of the more than 400 million oil filters sold are recycled. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that nearly half of the motor oil changed comes from do-it-yourself (DIY) mechanics. What impact does this have upon the earth and our ground water when we need to change motor oil in our vehicles every 3,000 miles?

A new technology introduced by SOMS Technologies, LLC, which provides engine oil filtration merchandise, reported on October 21, 2008 that they have created an oil filter which only needs replaced up to every 30,000 miles. It is important to change motor oil to keep the engine running smoothly and to remove dirt and other contaminants. In addition to saving auto owners on maintenance when they change motor oil, it also dramatically reduces oil filter disposal waste in our landfills. By capturing oil particles down to 2 microns instead of 25-40 microns in traditional oil filters, certified mechanics and those who do it themselves will see increased performance and cleaner oil when they change motor oil.

The automotive marketplace has not seen such a technological improvement with automotive oil filters in 30 years. This is a step in the right direction to save millions of gallons of drinking water, due to ground contamination when people change motor oil and do not dispose of it properly. According to the EPA, one gallon of used motor oil pollutes one million gallons of water, which threatens community drinking water and the environment. It is better to save than to waste our valuable resources when changing motor oil and filters.

The microGreen oil filter is being targeted toward larger industries for a test drive including government organizations and educational entities. Features with this new oil filter include a potential 5 percent increase in fuel efficiency, improved engine life and vehicle maintenance, and a 70 percent reduction in motor oil consumption, according to microGreenFilter.com. To further your driving capabilities, synthetic oils can be used when you change motor oil in order to obtain better fuel mileage and longer engine life. Ask for the benefits of using synthetic oil the next time you need to change motor oil at your nearest quick change oil company.

Routine maintenance for most cars recommend to change motor oil every 3-5,000 miles or more often if the car is driven in hot climates or for extensive highway use. With microGreen oil filters, those appointments to change motor oil including oil filters will be reduced since the dual filters only need changing every two to three oil changes. Quick change oil companies should not worry about this new technology because it hasn’t been released to the public nor has it been tested on mass amounts of vehicles. Additionally, auto owners will still need to change motor oil, but not as traditional auto manuals suggest. Quick stop lube businesses can use suggestive selling to their customers when they come to change motor oil and offer to replace wiper blades, air filters, buy gift certificates, motor oil change coupons and frequent visitor cards. Although the Web site says the oil filter should be available by mid-November, it does not provide an initial retail price. Lube companies should continue to use their stocked supply of motor oil and oil filters to provide the best service when people come to change their motor oil.

Green technology is what consumers are demanding and they will continue to support oil change companies who embrace eco-friendly products and services. Quick change motor oil companies will be able to offer their customers an eco- friendly alternative to the traditional oil filter with the initial motor oil change. After the initial installation, customers will see the benefits of using the dual filter with increased fuel usage, better engine performance and less trips to the automotive garage or dealerships to fix worn engine components.