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
DEVELOPING Slovakia's populist prime minister shot in assassination attempt, shocking Europe before elections
Slovakia's populist prime minister, Robert Fico, was shot multiple times and gravely wounded Wednesday after a political event in an attempted assassination that shocked the small country and reverberated across Europe.
U.S. intelligence officials wanted to meet with Transport Canada's UFO 'lead'
Canada's transportation department had a UFO 'lead' who tried to 'quell' media interest and planned to meet with U.S. intelligence officials.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver handed a cell phone ticket for using points app in McDonald's drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
'The Fly' has become notorious in France after a brazen escape. What's his criminal history?
A prisoner nicknamed “The Fly” has become notorious in France overnight after a daring and bloody escape from a prison convoy in Normandy that left two guards dead.
Ontario's 'Crypto King' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed 'crypto king' from Whitby, Ont., has been arrested in Durham Region after allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
Barge hits a bridge in Texas, damaging the structure and causing an oil spill
A barge slammed into a bridge pillar in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to a smaller and separate island that is home to a university, officials said. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Person responsible for 1996 drugging of 'Titanic' crew likely not a local: Halifax police
Halifax Regional Police believe a non-resident could be responsible for the infamous drugging of numerous crew members of the 'Titanic' movie with a hallucinogenic in 1996.
Latest updates on the biggest wildfires burning in Canada
Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts.
OPINION If you think you can’t focus for long, you’re right: Sandee LaMotte
Regaining your focus requires you to be mindful of how you are using technology -- a daunting task if you consider the average American spends at least 10 hours a day on screens.