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EPA's New Spanish-Language Campaign "You Dump IT; You Drink It" for Used Motor Oil Recycling

Release Date: 06/18/2003
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(06/18/03) EPA has introduced a new Spanish-language campaign for the auto repair and service industry called the “You Dump It, You Drink It”campaign to encourage Hispanic consumers and auto workers to properly store and dispose of used motor oil. English and Spanish-language posters ,brochures and bumper stickers were distributed today at the annual national convention of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) in Orlando, Fla.

Research conducted by Delmar Learning of Clifton Park, N.Y., reveals that while about half of all auto mechanics in the United States are Hispanic, little, if any, Spanish-language material is available on the used oil recycling issue. On average, about four million people reuse motor oil as a lubricant for other equipment or take it to a recycling facility annually.

With approximately 115,000 members throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, LULAC is the largest and oldest Hispanic Organization in the United States. LULAC advances the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, health and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based programs operating at more than 600 councils nationwide. The organization involves and serves all Hispanic nationality groups. To learn more about LULAC , go to: http://www.lulac.org/

“This campaign is a vital step toward making it easier for Hispanic Americans to become more aware of their impact on the environment,” said Marianne Lamont Horinko, EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Solid Waste and Emergency Response. “Used motor oil from a single oil change can contaminate a million gallons of fresh water – a year’s supply for 50 people. EPA wants to get the word out to let people know more about environmentally-safe ways to store or dispose of used motor oil.”

Campaign materials include “You Dump It, You Drink It: Recycle Used Motor Oil,” a brochure on how to change and dispose of used motor oil; “Managing Oil Spills,” a display poster for gas stations; “Managing Used Motor Oil,” a reference card for owners and managers of automotive repair and service shops with tips for properly managing and storing used motor oil; and bumpers stickers with the “You Dump It, You Drink It,” slogan. This campaign is part of EPA’s Resource Conservation Challenge, an initiative urging all Americans to embrace a resource conservation ethic of producing, purchasing and using products that are easy to recycle and consist of recycled materials. To learn more about the “You Dump It, You Drink It,”go to: https://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/usedoil/index.htm To order copies of the materials, call: 800-424-9346 (or 703-412-9810 in the Washington, DC metro area), or go to: https://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/publicat.htm