The Perfect Eco Car Wash?

Yes, from time to time I am forced to drive to places. I choose to do so in a very low-emission car and only drive when there is no other option… I would rather use a bike or walk any day! That being said, sometimes there is no option. A few days ago I drove to the mountains to see a friend and on my return I noticed the car looked a total mess. There was dry mud from my friend’s driveway, there were countless bugs from going along the rural roads plus a weird film left behind from the drizzle of rain I caught on the way back. Safe to say it needed a wash!

So I decided to approach this in the most environmentally responsible way possible, in the hope others will do the same. I used rainwater collected in my garden cistern and I bought a Green Earth Technologies ‘5-Pack Car Care Kit’.

The care kit came complete with: 4oz. G-Wash Heavy-Duty Hydrophobic Car Wash, 4oz. G-Glass Organic Glass Cleaner, 4oz. G-Wheel Brake Dust Removing Wheel Cleaner, 4oz. G-Tire Ultimate Tire Shine, 4oz. G-Wheel Brake Dust Shield and a Green Earth Technologies license plate . I felt that I had all the bases covered so I got to work.

At first I found myself a little confused, the GET products look like normal car cleaning fluids, sure it may not be as foamy as the stuff I have used in the past but it had that chemical look about it. I had to stop a couple of times to re-read the information on the pack just to make sure it really is an eco-friendly product. I guess it should be read as a measure of success that GET products look like any other car washing fluid.

According to the literature, all of the “G”-Branded appearance products are produced from American-grown plant base oils, making it safe for the environment, including ground water. The material explains that they use the power of ‘nanotechnology’ (the field of applied science at the molecular scale) and continues to explain how it is designed to help you not only get the car clean, but also to keep it that way as long as possible. And it certainly worked for me.

After the first wash the Hydrophobic car wash was doing its thing, repelling water into little droplets, the organic glass cleaner was shining nicely and the tire shine worked a treat. The little bugs were hard to remove - though it might have been more of question of how many there were rather than how successful the cleaning product is - it definitely did a decent job in the end.

My favorite product in the pack had to be the 'Brake Dust Removing Wheel Cleaner', the wheels came out perfect and should remain so for longer than usual thanks to the Wheel Brake Dust Shield. In the end, I found myself with a pretty clean car and happy that the products washing away on my drive were ecologically safe, which is an amazing achievement I think. Now to wash my bicycle with it!

Green Earth Technologies ‘5-Pack Car Care Kit’ is available on www.amazon.com for $15.88

For more information see: www.getg.com

Test results at a glance

Pros: Pretty effective and very gentle on the environment. The kit is well priced and comprehensive

Cons: The license plate in the pack is a fairly superfluous addition.

Product Review: Aquapac Wet & Dry 25L

Our Thoughts

OK, I have to point out from the onset that I am a lifelong Aquapac fan, their products have followed me all over the world and have been there when I needed them most. Aquapac protected my Ipod in the Patagonian freezing rain, it saved my camera from the humidity of central India and it even saved my handheld GPS from a certain drowning whilst sailing in the Med last summer, you can definitely say that I am a grateful customer. I am also very fond of their ecological principles and their continuing efforts to become more efficient and greener using the latest available technologies. So, when the chance came to test one of their new limited edition products I was very excited indeed.

At first glance the Aquapac Wet & Dry is a very plain rucksack, there are no external pockets and no dangling elastics or bright crazy colours, it is a very pleasing and simple design that appealed to me straight away. It is also incredibly light, something that I have grown to consider extremely important, especially when you have heavy gear to carry or you have a long way to carry it to. Having used the classic waterproof canoe bags, I was already very familiar with the 3-roll seal, the idea being that on the last turn you clip the bag shut and create a simple yet very effective waterproof seal. And effective it really is, I had it with me through a grand storm in France just 2 days ago and if that wasn’t enough I then brought it back home and dunked it in the bathtub. Nothing, not even the slightest bit of moisture went in, very impressive.

I think you would have a tough time getting water in this bag when fully sealed and I would be very confident to take it anywhere in any weather. Inside the bag the spaces are divided through an inner and outer lining allowing you to store wet clothes away from dry or sensitive items. At the top of the bag there is a key pocket which I found very useful for storing money and other loose items, you do suffer a little for the lack of outside pockets (or mesh) and there are times when you might find yourself wondering if a second key pocket inside the bag would have been a useful addition.

On the outside there are plenty of places to attach things (GPS, water bottles, etc) through carabiners, one of them is supplied with the bag too. The back support can be removed to make the whole thing even more supple and to give you space to store a hydration bladder. The bag is fitted with a sternum and waist strap which are great for keeping the bag steady on rough terrain but are also the source of my only disappointment with the sack. I do wish they had been made to be removable; there is nothing more annoying than loose waist straps when you don’t use them and someone who is unlikely to use the bag for serious hiking is going to be forced to cut them off, which is never advisable. The price is also a little on the high side but then again you are paying for some serious technology!

RRP in the UK is £65.00 and in the US $95.00.
Click Here for US, Here for the rest of the world

Test results at a glance

Pros: Fantastic waterproof system, all weather and all terrain bag, perfect for any outdoor activity, stylish too!

Cons: Straps cannot be removed, slight lack of pockets and a touch on the expensive side

The Green Credentials (straight from Aquapac)

The backpack itself was designed to do a unique job (keep wet and dry separate), whilst using as little material as possible. This is with a conscious effort to reduce the usage of manmade materials, and also weight in shipping (and thus fuel).

Without giving away too many trade secrets, we specify all our materials from sources which provide an ethical and environmental code of practice. We do not use PVC or other harmful materials, and where we must use plastics we try to use those with the least harmful impact (TPU instead of PVC for instance).

We comply fully with EU end-of-life rules, and offer a recycling service for all Aquapac products at the end of their life.

We use minimal packaging - the backpack for instance is supplied with a single A4 sheet of recycled paper, printed locally to avoid fuel costs.

And perhaps most importantly, let's not forget that Aquapac is in the business of prolonging the life of electronics and other equipment, which otherwise might end up in landfill or polluting watercourses after it was damaged by water. Our cases have a small impact in order to gain a much greater saving on our environment.

For more information Click Here

Latest feedback from Acquapac:

You'll be pleased to know that v2 of the backpack, which is coming very soon, has a removable waist-strap, an internal key-pocket in clear material (so you can see into it), a yellow inner bag (so you can see to the bottom easily), and external mesh-pockets for water bottles or bicycle pumps. We took on board all the early blog and beta-tester reviews and we hope that v2 is the every-man bag that you all wished you could get.

Product Feature: Volvo S40 DRIVe

As the season for driving holidays is firmly coming along, climate worries as well as fuel efficiency and running costs are high on the agenda and for that reason we figured we would show you one of the greenest cars in current production.

The Volvo S40 1.6D DRIVe, featuring the new Start/Stop technology, has some very interesting green credentials that have helped it scoop up the ‘Green Car of the Year' award at the prestigious 2009 What Car? Green Car Awards.

The Volvo S40 DRIVe beat the BMW 118d and the Renault Megane to the top spot in the Small Family category and then stormed ahead to achieve victory over all the other category winners, including the Audi A8 and MINI Cooper S. The Volvo offers exceptionally low CO2 emissions of just 104g/km and returning up to 72.4 mpg on the combined cycle, What Car?'s judges praised the S40 DRIVe's unique combination of low emissions, practicality, safety and driver enjoyment as key reasons for the win.

Steve Fowler, What Car’s editor, heaped praise on the car. He said: “Volvo’s S40 DRIVe is one seriously appealing eco-friendly car. Its low emissions don’t come at the expense of quality, safety or driver enjoyment and it’s great value, too. It’s everything we look for in a Green Car of the Year.”

Upon receiving the award, Stuart Kerr (Regional President of Europe, Volvo Car Corporation) said “Volvo has a strong commitment to its environmental activities and we have worked hard to reduce the carbon footprint on all our cars by focusing on health, resource utilisation and the ecological consequences right through from production, use to disposal”

The Volvo S40 DRIVe is pretty generously equipped with the entry level S specification featuring ECC (Electronic Climate Control), power windows, plenty of boot space and all the safety systems that people have come to expect from Volvo, including DSTC (Dynamic Stability and Traction Control), SIPS (Side Impact Protection System) and Dual Stage Driver and Passenger Airbags. Prices for the Volvo S40 DRIVe 1.6D with Start/Stop range start at £17,495 for the entry level S specification.

You should also take note of the very reasonable running costs, with an annual tax disc cost of just £35, an insurance group 9 and a frugal diesel engine which gives a range of up to 800 miles between visits to the fuel station. Currently, drivers who are taking advantage of the Government scrappage scheme can trade in a car over ten years old and save a generous £4,377 on a brand new Volvo S40 DRIVe 1.6D S with Start/Stop, reducing its On The Road price to just £13,118.

How does Start/Stop work?

In order to reduce CO2 emissions to 104 g/km, the new S40 DRIVe has been equipped with a Start/Stop function that allows the engine to switch off when the car is at a standstill.
When the driver puts the gear lever into neutral and releases the clutch while at a standstill, the engine switches off. The next time the driver presses the clutch, the engine starts up again. Volvo's Start/Stop system also continuously monitors the comfort levels in the cabin and automatically reactivates the air conditioning if, for instance, the temperature increases in the passenger compartment.
This innovative monitoring system has been made possible due to an additional small battery which supports the larger battery by providing extra power. Thanks to this extra battery, Volvo's DRIVe models also feature particularly quick and smooth start-up. The audio system also remains unaffected when the starter motor is activated. This distinguishes Volvo Car's solution from other systems offered by the competition. The standard larger battery has also been upgraded to handle up to 175,000 Start/Stop cycles. The Start/Stop technology is also available in the Volvo C30 SportsCoupe and V50 Sportswagon DRIVe models.

For more information click here

Eco Lives: Seth Riney

Going The Green Mile

On New Year's Day circa 2003, while reading Natural Capitalism, a book on environmental entrepreneurship, I wondered why hired vehicles such as taxis and limos were still based on traditional platforms—everywhere I see Crown Victorias, Lincoln Town Cars and mini-vans commanding the streets. The only innovation of late has been to make the platforms larger by switching to SUVs. I thought, “Why are livery fleets, the largest class of public vehicles on city streets, comprised of mostly large, inefficient, gas-guzzling beasts while the rest of the world is going green?”

With that question, PlanetTran was born. My vision: an urban transport infrastructure that utilizes the most efficient transportation technology available. My mission: start a livery service based exclusively on the gas-electric hybrid Toyota Prius, the most technologically advanced vehicle on the road.

I was previously consulting on web infrastructures, financial services and biotechnology applications for various clients. After working for a startup internet company, I realized that there are two types of people in the corporate world: people who make things happen and everyone else who works for them. I wanted to be someone who makes things happen. So, I utilized my software architecture experience to create an industry-leading integrated application to deliver a comprehensive online booking service.

What started with just one Prius quickly grew a loyal following and earned national press, establishing PlanetTran as the nation’s first livery service to exclusively use ultra fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles. We’ve been able to serve individuals and organizations in the greater Boston and Bay area, and are now recognized as one of the most influential vehicles in reducing the carbon footprint of Corporate America.

I chose to focus on four key principals–the environment, reliability, value and technology–that have won us both accolades (voted Cambridge Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year in 2006) and a customer list that boasts a 98% return rate. In March we received financing from Cue Ball Capital, the Boston-based venture and early growth equity investment firm. This aided our mission to help local businesses and consumers become eco-friendly, making Boston’s mandate to “GO GREEN by 2010” even more realistic.

Being green has helped our branding substantially—since our hybrid fleet consumes up to 8x less gas than traditional car services, we are able to provide customers with a lower price point than black car services. With the recent economic downturn, companies have turned to us for a cost-effective alternative that also helps save the planet.
And I went the extra mile to add unique features such as free in-car WI-FI, electronic booking and receipts and an impact calculator with a summary of client’s greenhouse gas reduction from using PlanetTran over traditional car service.

We are continuously growing in Boston and San Francisco, with a recent rebranding on Earth Day. Our logo has transformed into a dragonfly, which is characterized as agile, elegant and efficient. Like the dragonfly in its natural surroundings, PlanetTran thrives in today’s transportation landscape. The icon embodies more than our green status, it communicates our dedication to delivering sophisticated, nimble and attentive customer experiences.
More than ever, PlanetTran has become a necessary component in the green movement, as well as the transportation environment. And knowing I help others green the earth is benefit enough! Stay tuned for new service announcements as we expand our capabilities and further enhance the reliability and value.

I hope you share this vision of smarter urban transportation services, and continue to contribute to the earth’s sustainability. Please check us out at Planettran.com!

R. Seth Riney, Founder
PlanetTran