Walmart stores save 1 million quarts of oil

July 24, 2011

Walmart Tire and Lube Express outlets are trying to revolutionize the way they do oil changes.

Under a new partnership with BP Lubricants USA Inc., Wal-mart Stores Inc. is phasing in the use of the innovative Castrol Enviro-Pack (e-Pack) and e-Dispense system. Their first collaboration has been tested in a smaller, prototype store.

The new store solely runs on the Castrol motor oil e-Dispense and e-Pack. It has eliminated costly bulk tanks that turn inventory slowly.

"For smaller volume premium fluids, oil changes are performed by manually dispensing out of the e-Packs instead of using costly plastic bottles, reducing the amount of plastic being placed into landfills," says BP Lubricants.

"Our partnership with Castrol and investment in the e-Pack product for our Tire and Lube Express business addresses a dual business objective -- greater operational efficiency and a focus on more environmentally friendly packaging," says Scott McCarter, senior director of Walmart Tire and Lube Express operations. "Our work with Castrol is unique in our space and has revolutionized how we purchase and utilize oil.

"Replacing more costly bulk tanks with e-Packs and e-Dispense units will have a substantive benefit for our business by reducing construction costs and improving inventory management."

The new oil change facilities build on the work that Castrol and Walmart have done on e-Packs since 2008. The e-Pack packaging, a poly bag inside corrugated carton, is more environmentally friendly than quart bottles, which allows for more than 85% reduction in discarded plastic.

BP adds that as a result of businesses such as Walmart switching to Castrol's e-Pack and phasing out more traditional plastic quart bottles, Castrol reached a tremendous milestone with more than two million pounds of plastic saved from entering the waste stream. The volume of bottles that were eliminated from the waste stream could fill approximately eight Olympic-sized pools.

Walmart says it has eliminated approximately one million quarts of oil waste at its 2,500 Tire and Lube Express facilities in the United States.

In recognition of the environmental benefits and strengthening partnership between both companies, BP recently became a co-recipient of Walmart's Vendor of the Year Award for Sustainability. For more information on Castrol Enviro-Pack, visit www.castrolusa.com/epack.