TurtleBac is a biodegradable cap that snaps on to the end of a used oil filter, blocking oil leakage, encouraging and facilitating proper used oil filter disposal by making handling and transporting them much easier and cleaner.

In a future adaptation, the cap will contain a time-release bacterial cocktail capable of consuming oil, should the filter be improperly disposed.

This second line of defense prevents oil remaining in the filter (which can be up to an ounce or even more) from becoming a source of pollution. TurtleBac contains a large surface area where environmental, sponsor, and other printed information is highly visible.

• About a half billion oil filters are sold over-the-counter annually in the United States alone

• In California, up to 95 percent of all used DIY filters are tossed into the trash and therefore not recycled

• Used motor oil is recognized as a major source of pollution affecting the environment by the US-EPA

• Handing and transporting of used oil filters can be a dirty, noxious task, making the decision to simply toss used filters into the trash easier than to make the effort to properly recycle them

• Statistical studies show that education alone has not resolved this problem

• BUT - one ton of used filters can yield 1,700 lbs of steel and 60 gallons of oil • AND - when trashed, this highly recyclable media is lost forever to reclamation and reuse

• Further, improperly disposed used oil filters DO cause environmental and economic damage; and once contaminated, it is very costly to remediate.