PARK RIDGE, N.J., Nov. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- In a continued effort to reduce the environmental footprint of its operations, The Hertz Corporation (NYSE: HTZ) rolled out a waterless, non-toxic "green clean" car washing process at more than 220 neighborhood locations across the United States. As one of the largest car rental companies in the world, Hertz plans to expand this to all viable neighborhood locations in the United States and Europe in 2014, making waterless car washing available to nearly 3,700 locations which could save more than 130,000,000 gallons of car wash water annually.
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"Managing one of the largest car rental fleets in the world requires a significant amount of car washing," commented Hertz Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mark P. Frissora. "Moving to a waterless car wash system is another innovative way Hertz is addressing both its sustainability and business needs. We have been able to achieve significant environmental and cost savings while continuing to offer customers the best fleet in the industry."
Keeping with Hertz's high-quality service standards for cleanliness and customer satisfaction, this new process ensures that cars are detailed properly while both conserving water and avoiding toxic cleaners. Hertz worked with Green Team Partners, LLC ("Green Team Partners") to develop a non-toxic, biodegradable and hyper-concentrated waterless car wash formula and dispenser, which reduced the product volume by 79 percent and resulted in a 77 percent reduction in shipping and transport costs over non-concentrated solutions.
"We were very excited to bring our processes and products to Hertz and even more thrilled when Hertz adopted our waterless detailer program for its fleet," commented Max Krumer, President of Green Team Partners. "To see a large organization put such great emphasis on going green and investing in sustainability efforts is amazing, and we're glad to be part of Hertz's efforts."
An entire car can be washed with 6 to 8 ounces of a proprietary, environmentally friendly, fully biodegradable solution, in approximately 8 minutes. After the solution is sprayed onto the car, the specially formulated molecules envelop the dirt particles, lifting them away from the car's paint. A high quality microfiber towel is then used to wipe the lifted dirt particles off the surface. A second clean microfiber towel is used to polish the surface, leaving behind a shiny protective coating that preserves the clear coat and paint.
Environmental sustainability, Hertz's Living Journey, is integrated throughout the Company, from its car washes to the way its rental locations are built. Hertz is committed to its sustainability efforts – both from a fleet and operations perspective – and prides itself as a market leader in sustainable transport and operations. As Hertz redesigns its facilities, the company is introducing specific sustainable construction and design highlights, including LEED certification at select sites, the use of LED and energy efficient lighting, solar power systems and solar outdoor lighting at select sites, post-consumer recycled content materials and finishes, water saving fixtures and zero-VOC paints. Hertz is also rolling out a national single-stream recycling program in addition to current recycling efforts around automotive waste oils and tires. Other Hertz Living Journey outcomes include production of 2.5M kWh of solar energy annually and sustainable mobility solutions. More than 75% of the company's fleet averages 28+ MPGs and the Green Traveler Collection offers a variety of alternate fuel vehicles, including Electric Vehicles, Clean Diesels, Compressed Natural Gas vehicles and hybrids.
Hertz has been recognized for its sustainability achievements as well including Zagat's "Best Green Options", Global Business Travel Association's "Sustainable Innovation Award", Swedish Association of Green Motorists' "Most Environmentally Friendly Car Rental Company", and Fleet News UK's "Environmental Award."
For more information, visit www.hertzlivingjourney.com or www.Hertz.com or follow Hertz on Facebook or Twitter.
About Green Team Partners
Green Team Partners offers management consulting services and related products for corporate entities to create solutions and streamline processes in water conservation, recycling infrastructure, and pollution reduction. By becoming a Green Team Partner, a business dedicates itself to environmental education and sustainability.
About Hertz
Hertz operates its car rental business through the Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty brands from approximately 10,400 corporate, licensee and franchisee locations in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia, Australia, Africa, the Middle East and New Zealand. Hertz is the largest worldwide airport general use car rental brand, operating from approximately 8,800 corporate and licensee locations in approximately 150 countries. Hertz is the number one airport car rental brand in the U.S. and at 111 major airports in Europe. Dollar and Thrifty have approximately 1,580 corporate and franchisee locations in approximately 80 countries. Hertz is an inaugural member of Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards Hall of Fame and was recently named, for the thirteenth time, by the magazine's readers as the Best Car Rental Agency. Hertz was also voted the Best Overall Car Rental Company in Zagat's 2013/14 U.S. Car Rental Survey, earning top honors in 10 additional categories, and the Company swept the global awards for Best Rewards Program and Best Overall Benefits from FlyerTalk.com. Product and services such as Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, NeverLost®, and unique cars and SUVs offered through the Company's Adrenaline, Prestige and Green Traveler Collections, set Hertz apart from the competition. Additionally, Hertz owns the vehicle leasing and fleet management leader Donlen Corporation and operates the Hertz On Demand car sharing business. The Company also owns a leading North American equipment rental business, Hertz Equipment Rental Corporation, which includes Hertz Entertainment Services.
SOURCE The Hertz Corporation