As environmental concerns rise globally across all sectors, industries such as car washing are under increasing pressure to eliminate hazardous chemicals from their products. Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took a pivotal step to address the pervasive issue of PFAS contamination by designating PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) as harmful chemicals [source]. Car washing is explicitly named as a key violator of new regulations surrounding PFAS. Finishing products, such as waxes, sealants and tire shines, are the most common car wash products that contain PFAS.
What Are PFAS?
PFAS (and adjacent compounds) are a group of man-made chemicals used in various industrial applications and consumer products for their resistance to water, grease, and stains. However, PFAS are often referred to as "forever chemicals" due to their inability to break down in the environment, leading to widespread contamination and potential adverse health effects, including cancer and immune system impairments [Source].
The EPA's recent regulations aim to significantly reduce the presence of PFAS in industrial products and waste. These regulations are part of a broader effort to mitigate the environmental and health impacts of these persistent chemicals. Industries, including the car wash sector, must now adapt to these guidelines, necessitating a shift towards safer and more sustainable chemical alternatives.
Why Does This Matter for Car Wash Operators?
This heightened scrutiny may have significant implications for car wash operators who, intentionally or unintentionally, utilize PFAS or other harmful chemicals for their cleaning solutions.
While the dangers of utilizing harmful phosphates, Ammonium Bifluoride (ABF) and Hydrofluoric acid (HF) have long been understood by chemists, due to the high degree of cleaning efficacy and low cost of manufacturing, many car wash chemical manufacturers around the world unfortunately still choose to utilize these materials.
Running a Car Wash is More Expensive Than Ever. Why Should We Prioritize Environmental Considerations Today?
While 65% of car wash customers are very satisfied with the wash they use most often and price satisfaction with memberships maintaining their highest levels since Q4, 2021, operators are still concerned about the cost of running a car wash [source]. Consumer satisfaction is an excellent signal that the industry is continuing to head in a positive direction.
However, from an operator's perspective, the rising cost of inputs to run a car wash is noted as “by far the biggest challenge” in the 2024 Q2 Pulse Report published by the International Carwash Association. With this in mind, it is a challenging time for operators to be asked to review their chemical selection to determine if they are utilizing PFOA and PFOS in their products.
Nonetheless, there are several reasons, moral and ethical considerations aside, that should compel an operator to consider a switch:
- Regulatory Risk Mitigation: Failure to adhere to these regulations may result in hefty penalties and reputational damage in the future, especially as these guidelines become more and more strict, making it imperative for car wash businesses to adopt eco-friendly formulations.
- Legal Implications: Employees accidentally exposed to harmful chemistry in their working environment without sufficient education and safety precautions may have a strong legal basis to act on.
- Attracting and Retaining Quality Talent: While the talent market has improved in the service sector, hiring is still ranked as the 4th largest challenge and 71% of job seekers want to work for environmentally friendly employers [Source]. Ensuring you can speak with confidence that your business is a safe working environment is critical to attracting and retaining the people that will ensure your business thrives.
- Market Differentiation: Operators can differentiate themselves in the market by utilizing eco-friendly products, helping to attract environmentally conscious customers and enhancing your brand’s reputation. Nielson study showed that 66% of consumers were willing to pay more for sustainable products and services. [Source]
How Can You Assess if You’re Using Harmful Chemistry in Your Car Wash
It's not always as straightforward as looking at the label to determine if you are in compliance with national or local regulations. Here are a few tips to consider:
- Review Safety Data Sheets (SDS): Obtain the Safety Data Sheets for all the chemical products used in your car wash. The SDS contains detailed information about the chemical composition and any hazardous ingredients.
- Identify Ingredients: Look for PFOA, PFOS, and other per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the ingredient lists. These should be listed under the chemical identity section of the SDS.
- Ask Your Distributor: If you work with a distributor, it’s important to rely on them for detailed information about the products you use. Distributors engage in detailed training with their suppliers and will be able to help you identify harmful ingredients, navigate local regulations and adjust your product selection or supplier if needed.
- Contact Suppliers Directly: Suppliers can give you direct information about the ingredients in their chemistry and identify products that may contain PFAS or are clear from these ingredients. Some suppliers, such as my company, Transchem and Turtle Wax Pro, have pages dedicated to their environmental commitments.
- Keep detailed records of the information obtained from SDS, supplier communications, and laboratory testing: Ensure transparency with your customers by providing information about the safety and environmental impact of the chemicals you use.
Transchem Group and Turtle Wax Pro's Commitment to Environmental Protection
Transchem Group has been supporting car wash businesses for over 50 years, most notably with superior car wash chemicals that are both effective for cleaning and safe for the environment. We have a robust commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability. An aspect that both Turtle Wax Pro and Transchem Group has been proud of is our unwavering commitment to environmental protection and conservation by manufacturing car wash chemicals without harmful substances like phosphates and PFAS, while also adhering to stringent chemical guidelines such as REACH, Nordic Swan, and ECOLOGO (when applicable).
None of our products, including our AutoLux, Turtle Wax Pro, Private Label, and Custom Blended products contain phosphates, PFAS, or other common harmful chemicals. We’ve always understood the potential downsides to using these harmful ingredients and created the standard to avoid them at all costs.
“Instead, we review materials to ensure they are safe to handle and minimize impact on human health, benefiting both our staff as well as customers. We also take care to only select ingredients that are biodegradable (per Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 on detergents) and minimize aquatic toxicity and bioaccumulation.” said Karl Berzitis, R&D Manager for Transchem Group when asked about our ingredient selection.
Compliance with the EPA and Eco-Friendly Certifications
Our products comply with EPA by only using chemicals registered in the TSCA Chemical substance inventory and abiding by any additional chemical restrictions, such as the new regulations on PFAs. Similarly in Europe, all chemicals in our formulations available in the EU are REACH registered.
We also formulate under additional voluntary environmental certifications in North America and the EU. Our UL Ecologo (NA) and Nordic Swan (EU) certified products must follow strict criteria for biodegradability and ecotoxicity of ingredients used in the formulas.
While not every region of the world has equally strict environmental guidelines for car wash chemicals, we have always done what we can to meet and even exceed the regulations in place. In fact, we helped establish the guidelines the Canadian government’s Ecologo Certification Criteria Document for Commercial Car Wash Services.
Transchem’s Environmentally Friendly Advancements
Our R&D team is dedicated to finding ways to improve our offerings environmentally and lessen our impact on the planet. One recent example is our new presoak offering, One Shot (HP-99), which is a great development in environmental design. Its consumption is as low as 1/3 that of a traditional high pH presoak, lowering its overall carbon footprint due to reductions in packaging and shipping requirements. All while maintaining high performance and abiding by all environmental and safety standards.
R&D Manager, Karl Berzitis had this to add on what’s next for the industry: “A big evolution in the industry that will continue to grow is the use of water reclaim systems which greatly reduce water consumption in the wash process. There will be more call to provide effective products that are reclaim compatible and degrade easily so more water can be reclaimed and be used for more functions in the wash."
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Want to Learn More about Adding Eco-Friendly Products to your Wash?
The new requirements avoiding the use of PFAS amplify the need for our industry to adopt sustainable practices and eliminate hazardous chemicals from their products.
Transchem Group and Turtle Wax Pro exemplify leadership in the environmental sector with our biodegradable chemicals that are formulated without phosphates, PFAS, and other harmful ingredients.
We’d love to discuss how our car wash chemicals fit into your business, and help you achieve a better clean while being green in the process. Don't hesitate to get in touch!
