Clean Air Foundation to Lead National Scrappage Program

National solution brings government, not-for-profit, public and private organizations together in a concerted effort
OTTAWA, June 4 /CNW/ – The Honourable John Baird announced today that the Clean Air Foundation has been chosen to lead a new national vehicle scrappage program. Beginning in January 2009, the Clean Air Foundation will partner with other not-for-profit, private and public organizations in an effort to tangibly prevent emissions, improve air quality and protect the climate by getting old, higher-polluting cars permanently off the road.
“We are thrilled to be leading this program,” said Ersilia Serafini, Executive Director of the Clean Air Foundation. “Car Heaven is the most successful scrappage program in Canada and we look forward to working with additional local programs to build on their experience and to enhance this network even more.”
The Clean Air Foundation will collaborate with a network of local and national partners to deliver the national vehicle scrappage program across the country. It will work closely with local not-for-profit organizations from coast to coast to promote awareness and transition local scrappage programs into Car Heaven’s existing network to establish the new program. The Clean Air Foundation will also look to private and public organizations, such as transit authorities, automotive and bicycle manufactures, to offer sustainable
transportation rewards and other attractive rebates to Canadians who participate in the national vehicle scrappage program.
The Automotive Recyclers of Canada (ARC) and its provincial associations have partnered with the Clean Air Foundation over the years to help deliver the Car Heaven program. “We look forward to helping take Car Heaven to a national scale through our network of local auto dismantlers and recyclers,” said Steve Fletcher, Managing Director of ARC. “Ensuring that the vehicles are properly and permanently retired is the expertise we bring to the national program.”
The Clean Air Foundation was chosen to lead this national vehicle scrappage program based on its accomplishments with Car Heaven. The Car Heaven program is the largest and most successful accelerated vehicle retirement program in Canada. Since its inception in 2000, Car Heaven has successfully retired more than 77,000 old, higher-polluting vehicles from the roads and raised more than $2.9 million for charity. Last year alone, more than 25,000 Canadians sent their old, higher-polluting cars to Car Heaven, preventing the release of an estimated 1,300 tonnes of smog-forming emissions and more than 13,000 tonnes of carbon monoxide.
Pickuppal.com, the world’s first online transportation marketplace, is excited to be partnering with the Clean Air Foundation to provide an easy to use alternative transportation option for people turning their cars in.
“Once you’ve retired your car through the Car Heaven Program, Pickuppal provides an easy way to get around, save costs and improve our environment by ride sharing with someone already going your way,” said John Stewart, CEO of Pickuppal Inc.
While the Car Heaven program has been running since 2000 and is currently available to Canadians, the expanded and improved national vehicle scrappage program with new rewards will officially launch in January, 2009. Please visit www.carheaven.ca for more details on the current program and for regular updates on the expansion.

About Car Heaven
Car Heaven operates across all Canadian provinces and offers potential donors the free tow of their retired vehicle (valued at up to $200), a charitable tax receipt from one of Car Heaven’s affiliated charities (minimum $50), and the guarantee that their old vehicle is recycled in an environmentally responsible manner. In addition, Car Heaven donors may be eligible to receive $750 towards the purchase of a new GM vehicle, free
transit passes, discounted car-share program memberships and rebates on the
purchase of bicycles. See www.carheaven.ca for more details.
About Clean Air Foundation – www.cleanairfoundation.org
The Clean Air Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to developing, implementing and managing public engagement programs and other strategic approaches that lead to measurable emissions reductions, to improve air quality and protect the climate. The Foundation currently manages seven public engagement programs – Car Heaven(TM), Mow Down Pollution(TM), Keep Cool(TM), Go Solar, Switch the ‘Stat, Switch Out and Cool Shops(TM).
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Overview:
Vehicles built before 1995 produce about 19 times more air pollutants than 2004 and newer modeled cars. In fact, one-third of the vehicles driven by Canadians are responsible for two-thirds of the smog created(1). That’s why the Clean Air Foundation created Car Heaven, a national initiative dedicated to reducing emissions, improving air quality and protecting the climate by getting old, higher-polluting cars permanently off the road. The program is designed to reward and make it easy for Canadians to donate their old clunkers to be properly recycled. Since 2000, Car Heaven has retired and responsibly recycled over 77,000 old vehicles, preventing over 4,000 tonnes of
smog-forming emissions.
The Clean Air Foundation works with major industry partners, government, not-for-profit organizations and charities to deliver Canada’s largest and most successful accelerated vehicle retirement program. Due to the program’s success, the Canadian government chose Clean Air Foundation to run a national vehicle scrappage program across the country until March 31st, 2011.
Why send your old clunker to Car Heaven:
Reduce Emissions – By retiring the older vehicles in the Canadian vehicle
fleet earlier, Car Heaven is preventing emissions to the environment. In 2007
alone, 25,000 Car Heaven participants prevented the release of 13,000 tonnes
of carbon monoxide and 1,300 tonnes of smog-forming emissions.
Recycle Responsibly – Car Heaven ensures that all donated cars are
properly recycled. Although almost all vehicles are recycled for steel at the
end of their lives, hazardous materials which are not removed end up seeping
into the ground, being released to our air, or leached into our water. Car
Heaven auto recyclers ensure that materials such as oil, gasoline,
refrigerants, mercury switches and tires are removed from the cars prior to
scrappage to protect our air, water and land. In addition, Car Heaven
recyclers reuse any components of the vehicles that are safe to reclaim and
which do not contribute to the vehicle’s emissions, reducing the need to
manufacture new parts.
Support Charities – When you donate your car to Car Heaven, affiliated
recyclers pay a fixed fee to purchase the car from the program. The money
generated from this transaction is donated to a Car Heaven affiliated charity
of the donor’s choice. Therefore, not only are Car Heaven participants helping
to improve the environment, they are also contributing to charities across the
nation. To date, Canadians have generated over $2.9 million for Canadian
charitable organizations by participating in the program.
Get Rewarded – Finally, Car Heaven offers participants a wide-range of
incentives to turn in their old vehicle. Donate your old car and you are
entitled to the guarantee that your old car is responsibly recycled, a free
tow (valued at up to $200) and a charitable tax receipt from one to over 20
partnering charities for at least $50. Additionally, you may also be eligible
to receive:
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Who can participate?
All vehicles are eligible to participate in Car Heaven. Donors of “live”
cars, those in running condition that have been registered and insured with
the current owner for the past six months are eligible to receive incentives
towards cleaner and more efficient forms of transportation. Cars that are not
running, not registered or uninsured can still be donated for a charitable tax
receipt. All vehicles donated to Car Heaven are permanently removed from the
road and are responsibly recycled.
Although all cars are accepted by the program, vehicles made before 1995
are of particular concern. On average, a 13 year old vehicle produces 19 times
more smog-forming emissions than 2004 or newer models. Older vehicles are
generally less fuel-efficient and lack the latest technology used to cut
air-pollution and reduce emissions. In fact, new cars are so much cleaner that
it would take over a million new vehicles to produce the same volume of
emissions as the 77,000 older vehicles which have already been retired through
Car Heaven.
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(1) Environment Canada, Option for Incentives to Accelerate Scrappage of Older Vehicles in Canada
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/For further information: Stephanie Nadalin, Optimum Public Relations,
(416) 306-6561, stephanie.nadalin@cossette.com/