Car Wash Campaign Group

To All Responsible Car Wash Businesses - Time for Action

The Car Wash Campaign Group has been set up to represent the interest of all responsible businesses involved in the car wash industry in the UK. Members provide an important service that consumer’s value and a contribution worth in excess of £800m to the UK economy. (Datamonitor) Group members operate within the framework of regulations associated with environmental and health and safety in car washing. Our aim is to ensure that non compliance is tackled and that responsible businesses are treated fairly.

Drought Orders

The group is campaigning for a serious policy debate about the environmental impact of car washing in all the forms that it currently takes place. The Group believes that car washing through legitimate car wash facilities is the option that uses the least water, and leads to the safe disposal of waste and chemicals.

In particular the group is opposed to systematic bans on all types of automatic car washing in periods of drought.

Even a car wash that uses around 120 litres of water per wash (this is high usage) still uses only a quarter of the water used by a person at home washing their car with a hosepipe (480 litres). It is for this reason that the washing of a car at home is banned in other countries, such as Germany.

Non Compliant Hand Car Washes

The group is campaigning for action against those businesses that operate outside the regulations, causing harm to consumers and the environment. These operations often have no means of safe disposal of chemicals created.

The group is not opposed to hand car washing per se, and welcomes fair competition in the market, the group is concerned at operations that make none of the investment or management the responsible businesses do to prevent water pollution.

The Group welcomes members involved in car wash manufacturing, automatic car wash operators and hand car wash operations. Members must be committed to the aims and objectives of the group.

The group is run by a steering group, made up of a representative group of the different parts of the car wash sector. The Group is chaired by David Charman, Parkfoot Garage Group. The group’s secretariat is the Association of Convenience Stores.

Contacts

David Charman, Chairman Tel: 01732 840000 david.charman@btconnect.com

For more information about joining the group contact: Jenny Brown on 01252 515001 or email: jenny.brown@acs.org.uk Car Wash Campaign Group: c/o Association of Convenience Stores, Federation House, 17 Farnborough Street, Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 8AG

Downloads

> Letter to MP template - A pro forma letter than you can alter if you wish, visit WriteToThem.com to find your local MP. Please forward any responses that you receive to jenny.brown@acs.org.uk

> Car Wash Diagram

> DEFRA Consultation: Non-agricultural diffuse water pollution in England and Wales (NADWP)

> Restrictions on non-essential use of water