SALT LAKE CITY – The Star Wash and Express Lube carwash is helping Utah citizens "build a green future" by helping consumers "be earth friendly" while washing their cars and getting oil changes, reports the Salt Lake Tribune.

The facility earned Salt Lake's seal of approval as an e2 business, which means the city recognizes Star Wash as an "environmentally and economically sustainable" business committed to conserving resources and setting improvement goals. The carwash and lube station "recycles 100 percent of its waste oil and 85 percent of the water used at the carwash," and it uses biodegradable soaps.

"As a country, we need to do more things that are eco-friendly," Star Wash owner John Thomson told the newspaper, adding, "Utah has a lot of room for improvement. We'd like to be a part of that change."
 
Thompson told the newspaper that he uses waste oil collected from the lube services to heat parts of the business's interior, as well as heat the soaps and waxes used in the carwash. He estimates that recycling the oil saves him up to $50,000 a year on his heating bill.

At the carwash, Thomson installed equipment that captures, cleans and reuses the water. He told the newspaper he is planning to purchase a warehouse nearby to convert it into an inspection and emissions station, as well as a fueling station that will offer biodiesel and ethanol along with regular gasoline.

Mayor Rocky Anderson praised Star Wash during a news conference, noting that Thompson proves "any business can take steps to help conserve energy" and help protect the environment.

"A lot of carwashes go through tons of water," Anderson said during the news conference, adding that Star Wash is "definitely the model, the economy of the future."