Universal Lubricants launches high quality lube from used oil

Universal Lubricants, one of five manufacturers in the U.S. that collect and re-refine used oil, has introduced ECO ULTRA synthetic blend motor oil, which is packaged in a flexible stand-up pouch, the first of its kind in the U.S. The company’s ECO ULTRA synthetic blend motor oil is made from high-quality re-refined base stocks blended with premium performance additives.
The new 1-quart Flex Pak ECO ULTRA was introduced at the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) in Las Vegas, Nevada recently. John Wesley, chief executive officer of Universal Lubricants, said, “ECO ULTRA and our new FlexPak are perfect examples of ‘eco innovation’. These products not only protect and optimize engine performance; they also protect the environment while giving do-it-yourselfers a great new way to help reduce our country’s reliance on foreign oil.” Pouch-packed engine oil products have already earned consumer acceptance in many countries around the world.
 
According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates, if disposed of incorrectly, one typical oil change (1 gallon) could pollute a million gallons of fresh water; that number is equivalent to a year’s supply of water for 50 people. The EPA said that do-it-yourself oil changers in the U.S. could help recycle enough oil for 50 million cars a year, if every drop of their used oil was collected at service stations, auto parts stores or community recycling centers. Today, less than 20% of the approximately 1.3 billion gallons of oil used in the U.S. annually, is re-refined. This new technology of recycling used motor oil into fresh motor oil makes a non-renewable resource become renewable. And, according to Wesley, benefits are multiplied when that re-refined oil is put into flexible packages. Flexible pouches require fewer raw materials to make, and once drained and flattened, the pouches can significantly reduce landfill waste.
 
The 1-quart Flex Pak ECO ULTRA will be launched in the consumer retail market in 2013. At the moment it is available on Amazon.com and at selected installers and service centers throughout the U.S. A larger, 5.1-quart FlexPak is expected to be made available in 2014. The company hopes that the new product will make consumers change the way they view motor oil.
 
Universal Lubricants has partnered with Atlanta-based Star Packaging Corporation for the production of the tough, three-layer ECO ULTRA FlexPak, and with Innovative Packaging Network, which engineered the pour-spout that prevents the usual glugs and bubbles from bottles that cause splatters and spills. The 1-quart size, the ECO ULTRA FlexPak being introduced is constructed using a polyethylene barrier that provides superior burst and seal strengths required in this particular application. (October 10, 2012)