New environmentally-friendly way to fill up windshield washer fluid
There’s a new way to get windshield washer fluid into your vehicle, bypassing the plastic jug.
EcoTank windshield washer fluid dispensers can now be found at four gas stations in Kitchener and Cambridge.
Drivers pay directly at the unit and use the nozzle to put fluid into their vehicle.
Each dispenser holds the equivalent of about 65 jugs.
Orangeville-based EcoTank Canada began rolling out the dispensers in 2021, bringing the first to Waterloo Region the following year.
Currently there are 293 dispensers at 133 locations across Canada, including the Petro Canada at 2430 Homer Watson Blvd. in Kitchener.
According to the company’s calculations, the units have saved about 115,000 plastic jugs so far.
That’s significant because EcoTank says plastics containing chemicals like those in windshield washer fluid are complicated and expensive to recycle. As a result, it’s believed many washer fluid containers end up in the landfill.
In Kitchener, drivers who were filling up paid $1.70 per litre of washer fluid.
EcoTank Canada co-founder Jordon Francis says their product protects to -40 degrees Celsius. It also includes a bug cleaner and water repellent.
“It’s very similar to one of your high-end brands,” Francis says.
Drivers tell CTV News that they were interested in trying the dispensers, not just because it’s more eco-friendly, but also convenient.
“I was like, great, I don’t have to haul bottles in the car any more which I can’t get open because I don’t have a hard enough grip. So I used to have to get one of my kids to do it,” explains Hazel McDougall. “Now I can just pull up. I think it’s a great idea.”
Glennys Shouldice says having a washer fluid dispenser next to the gas pump will help with one particular hassle.
“When I forget to buy more… because I always forget to buy it.”
For those who still prefer to keep a jug of washer fluid in their car, driver can re-use an old bottle and fill it at the dispenser as well.
EcoTank plans to roll out more of its dispensers across Canada and the United States, and not just at gas stations. They also install them at electric vehicle charging stations and in the parking areas of condominiums.
You can find your nearest EcoTank location on the company’s website.
Francis says the technology was first introduced in Europe, where it is now available in 18 countries.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
'It was violent': Police tear down U of A pro-Palestinian encampment Saturday morning
Multiple people at the protest camp torn down at the University of Alberta campus Saturday say police's actions against protesters were "violent" and "disproportionate."
An apartment block collapses in a Russian border city after heavy shelling, injuring over a dozen
An apartment block partially collapsed in the Russian border city of Belgorod on Sunday, leaving at least 19 injured. Officials blamed Ukrainian shelling and said there were also likely deaths.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Michael Cohen: A challenging star witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial
He once said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump. Now Michael Cohen is prosecutors' biggest piece of legal ammunition in the former president's hush money trial.
Adopted daughter in the Netherlands reunited with sister in Montreal and mother in Colombia, 40 years later
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
German men with the strongest fingers compete in Bavaria's 'Fingerhakeln' wrestling championship
Despite the threat of dislocated fingers and strained muscles, over 150 Bavarian men came together Sunday to compete in Germany’s unique national championship of “Fingerhakeln,” or finger wrestling.
Feds 'committed to doing more,' but minister offers no timeline for Canadian Disability Benefit boost
Amid significant criticism from advocates, Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities Minister Kamal Khera is defending her government's long-promised, newly unveiled Canada Disability Benefit, calling the funds an "initial step," but without laying out a timeline for future expansion of the program.