An innovative automotive business that goes all out for customers and the environment has selected Slicker Recycling for its hazardous waste services.
The Ocean Automotive Group, based across five sites in the South West, chose Slicker for waste oil collections and hazardous workshop waste with Slicker’s new oil re-refining plant being a major deciding factor.
Slicker has recently opened its oil re-refinery, AVISTA Green in Denmark, as part of a joint venture initiative. It is one of only a few in Europe and turns waste engine oil into a high-quality base oil for re-use in the production of new finished lubricants saving up to 30% in carbon emissions in comparison to refining from crude. It also diverts waste oil from being turned into an industrial fuel making further environmental savings.
Ocean Automotive which was formed in 2000, has a national reputation for upping the game when it comes to attracting customers. At its flagship four-acre Audi showroom in Poole, Dorset – one of the largest Audi centres in the UK – customers can treat themselves to a massage, facial and host of other beauty treatments or have a workout in the onsite gym.
But, says Ocean Automotive’s Managing Director, Gail Ninnim, putting customers at the heart of the enterprise sits alongside aiming to achieve the highest environmental standards.
Gail said: “As a business we are acutely aware of environmental concerns and have introduced many initiatives to contribute to a greener future in our sector. However, oil will continue to be essential in the car industry even as we move to fully electric, so our ability to dispose of it in a less harmful way is very important to us, as it is to many of our customers.
“Naturally, from a commercial viewpoint, costs are also a priority and Slicker scored highly in this respect as well.”
Ocean Automotive also has a Volvo dealership in Poole and an Audi centre in Yeovil, along with accident repair businesses in both towns which cater for a number of premium car brands.
Environmental issues are high on their agenda, ensuring that the majority of waste is recycled in order to minimise landfill along with installing photovoltaic panels and LED lights at its Poole Audi showroom which has achieved a BREEAM excellence rating*. It has also introduced non-chemical water recycling technology where 90% of all water used is recycled and takes part in Refill, a national scheme to minimise single use plastics.
“With more than 200 staff across our sites, everything we do has an impact so it’s important that we extend environmental policies to every area of the business possible,” said Gail.
She added that Slicker’s provision of dedicated containers for workshop waste such as plastics and oil filters had made it easy for Ocean’s service and repair workshops to separate and reduce waste.
Laura Carter, Commercial Director at Slicker, said that the company was thrilled to have brought Ocean Automotive onboard. The introduction was made by Slicker’s partners The Purchase Agency, a purchasing consultancy whose core business is within the vehicle car dealership sector. “ Ocean Automotive are a business that truly makes it worth the drive for their customers and we share their philosophies of great service and commitment to a greener economy”.
Slicker Recycling is the UK’s largest collector and processor of used waste lubricating oil and provides numerous waste collection and recycling services. From one-off oil collections to fully integrated waste management, the company has a large network of depots around the UK and looks after diverse industry sectors.
The AVISTA Green re-refinery has oil returned to the re-refinery in a continuous cycle contributing to the creation of a circular economy.
