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.

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