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Safety-Kleen Introduces New, Re-refined Motor Oil to Consumers
Reduces greenhouse gases compared to traditional refining while lowering impact on environment from improper disposal

Media Contact: Jeff Anderson
972-265-2507
press@safety-kleen.com

PLANO, TX - April 21, 2009 - "Green-minded" consumers now have an additional way to help the environment by buying re-refined motor oil from Safety-Kleen. For the past 20 years, Safety-Kleen has produced high quality motor oils for large commercial fleets and the federal government by re-refining used oil the company collects at thousands of car dealerships, automotive retailers and quick lube facilities across North America.

Now, Safety-Kleen is making its re-refined oil available to consumers under the brand name EcoPower�. The company is targeting retailers and distributors in the top 100 U.S. markets to offer the new product, including AutoZone.

"Our research shows that consumers are ready for a new category of motor oil - re-refined motor oil - with EcoPower," said Fred Florjancic, president and CEO of Safety-Kleen. "It's one of the most exciting introductions in the motor oil category in more than a decade. There is definitive market demand in today's market for motor oil that delivers superior value in performance and protection in a more environmentally friendly way."

In 2008, Safety-Kleen collected more than 225 million gallons of used oil and re-refined approximately 140 million of it into base oil products for re-use in the marketplace. Safety-Kleen's re-refined oil meets or exceeds all applicable specifications set by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Society of Automotive Engineers, and is currently used by many large organizations, including the U.S. military, numerous state governments and automotive fleets.

The process for re-refining used oil is virtually the same as refining crude oil. Both go through the same exacting processes of distillation and hydro treating. The end product is identical to traditional motor oils made from crude and must meet the same specifications.

"Expanding our current relationships with leading retailers, fleets, oil change service shops, and distributors helps us take this premium quality product directly to consumers who are now demanding more green alternatives," said Florjancic. "We are projecting significant demand for the EcoPower products in the coming months."

Florjancic says recycling used motor oil not only conserves a valuable natural resource, but also protects surface waters and groundwater supplies against potential contamination from improperly disposed used oil. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, recovering the motor oil from one oil change of a typical automobile protects a million gallons of drinking water - a year's supply for 5,479 people.

Re-refining also saves energy. It takes up to 85 percent less energy to produce a gallon of re-refined oil from used oil than to produce that same oil from a gallon of crude.

"The end result of Safety-Kleen's re-refining used oil is that it avoids the emission of more than 300,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases each year when compared to refining from crude and burning used oil for energy," said Florjancic. "That is equivalent to taking more than 200,000 cars off the road each and every year."

EcoPower motor oil is now available in 5W-20, 5W-30, 10W-30 and 15W-40 viscosity grades. In addition, all major U.S. car manufacturers have approved the use of Safety-Kleen SAE 5W-20, 5W-30 and 10W-30 ILSAC-certified motor oil in all their cars. The EcoPower SAE 15W-40 grade has also been approved by leading heavy-duty engine manufacturers.

"We're committed to making EcoPower available through retailers for motorists that change their own oil and through oil change outlets for motorists who have their oil changed professionally," said Florjancic. "We intend to reach consumers with the best environmentally friendly motor oil on the market today."

More information about new EcoPower motor oil is available at www.ecopoweroil.com.

About Safety-Kleen

Safety-Kleen is a leading North American used oil recycling and re-refining, parts cleaning and environmental solutions company, with approximately 4,400 employees serving approximately 330,000 customer locations in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Safety-Kleen provides a broad set of environmentally-responsible products and services that keep North American businesses in balance with the environment. For more information, please visit safety-kleen.com or call (800) 669-5740.

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