Europe 
It may sound too good to be true but using bacteria to clean up messes has been an innovative approach dating back to nearly 600 B.C. It was first discovered by the Romans who learned how to harness bacteria to treat their water supplies. Centuries later, this process has continued to get rid of harmful chemicals, such as those found in gas and oil spills.
We are talking about bioremediation, a process in which natural microbes, that live in our soil and ground water, completely digest harmful chemicals like oil and change them into water and harmless gasses such as carbon dioxide. In fact, back in 1989 there was a “little” spill called Exxon Valdez which spilled over 11 million gallons of oil. In response, authorities introduced these microbes with added nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) to the shorelines, which motivated the microbes to degrade the oil spill. In areas where they had pressure washed, or used hot water, the microbes were killed and the oil remained for years. In order for the microbes to work, the right pH, nutrients and the amount of oxygen must be present in the soil or groundwater. These conditions allow for the microbes to grow and multiply – and eat more chemicals. These microbes are in the same category as those found in yogurt and pose no threat to people or the environment. CAF Environmental Solutions has already introduced these organisms in our own products such as EXIMO®. EXIMO is both a dry and water based application that when applied to oil stains, eat up the oil and reduces it to water and carbon dioxide. As a c-store owner cleaning up oil stains can equate to improving your profit margins. Cleanliness is an important component of the consumer experience and directly impacts consumers’ willingness to shop at a given location. More importantly, it also influences the frequency that a customer visits. All of this has a direct impact on the amount of spending you can capture from your customers. A recent study performed by the Alon Clean Team discovered just how import cleanliness really is to your customers... “We recently asked customers, “If you could create your ideal convenience store, what would be the single most important characteristic?” The results were pretty straight-forward – 88% responded with “clean”.” Research has found that a clean C-Store has been proven to increase both fuel and in-store sales by 115% or more! That’s huge!! 1 Alon Brands So the big question is: “Does your store’s image lead to your customer’s repeat business or to your competitors gaining your customer’s business?” Your customers have many options and if you aren’t meeting cleanliness expectations, the one down the street will. So if you are looking for a solution to enhance your customer experience and increase profits, contact a CAF representative today.
