Ottawa-based Topia GreenStop and Real Café serves a unique fueling up experience by offering BioDiesel and Ethanol fuel options, healthy snacks and environmentally friendly

Driven by high fossil fuel prices and increased concern over environmental impacts, Canada’s roads and waterways are becoming more environmentally-friendly as Ottawa-based Topia GreenStop and Real Café Inc. fuels cars, buses, transport trucks and boats with BioDiesel and Ethanol, clean fuel alternatives made from plant and animal sources.  Topia GreenStop’s Ottawa location is expanding its offerings by distributing various fuel blends, such as E10 and B20, a line of green household products and a wide selection of organic food.

As a founding partner of  ‘Certified BioDiesel Driven’ – a program that promotes and certifies high-quality BioDiesel internationally – GreenStop and Real Café is North America’s first commercial all-renewable fuel station, selling BioDiesel and Ethanol. 

BioDiesel, made from inedible animal fat, vegetable oil, and waste cooking oil does not contain petroleum, is nontoxic and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics. Ethanol, which is produced by grinding corn kernels to expose the starch, contains approximately 30% more octane than petroleum gasoline and helps to improve fuel efficiency as an oxygenate.

The fuel station not only sells exclusively renewable fuels, it also has a retail store.  Topia GreenStop believes that small changes make a big difference.  This philosophy is reflected throughout the Topia GreenStop product line – green cleaning supplies, organic food, fair-trade coffee and Green Starter Kits, which are full of simple household products that conserve energy, water and money.

Why Ottawa

Ottawa is a very climate-conscious city, with many volunteer environmental groups, including Ecology Ottawa and Enviro Educ-Action. Ottawa also has annual environmental fairs, such as The Ottawa Green Energy and Transportation Show – an exhibition that showcases the latest green technologies and trends in transportation. Health Canada and The National Department of Defense also host well attended green fairs.

Ottawa offers many opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy the outdoors –including skating on the Rideau Canal, the world’s longest outdoor skating rink, and visiting La Fleche – an outdoor adventure camp, located only 45 minutes from downtown Ottawa. The camp offers cave tours and zip-cord courses through the Laurentian Forest. Ottawa also hosts 35 annual outdoor festivals, including Cisco Systems BluesFest. 

The annual outdoor music festival showcases blues, rock and pop music each summer and, in fact, Topia supplied all the BioDiesel fuel required for staging, sound and lighting during BluesFest show in 2006.   With a population base so focused on outdoor activities and an amazing environment for recreational pursuits, Topia GreenStop offers Ottawa citizens and visitors many simple ways to reduce their daily impact on the environment that they love.          

Business Advantage

Today’s consumer is climate conscious and looking for ways to decrease individual negative environmental impact in easy-to-do ways, such as converting from fossil fuels to BioDiesel.  The use of BioDiesel can reduce life-cycle carbon dioxide emissions by up to 85%, according to a study by Natural Resources Canada. Carbon Dioxide is the leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.

A report by Ricardo – a British engineering firm – concluded that diesel cars are just as energy efficient as gas/electric hybrids, and cost significantly less.  Diesels offer 30% better mileage than fossil fuel counterparts, the equivalent or better than hybrids. Diesel cars fueled by BioDiesel perform even better and have health benefits that regular diesels lack, such as decreased emissions of cancer-causing compounds like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – a carcinogenic released during the burning of diesel.

In addition to providing cleaner burning fuels, the Topia GreenStop and Real Café is constructed using sustainable materials, such as compressed recycle straw board cabinets and chemical free linoleum flooring. In-store materials, such as coffee cups and food packaging, are also made from recycled, compostable or biodegradable materials.

Future Growth Plans

By mid summer 2008 Topia GreenStop hopes to offer customers E85 and B100, two biofuel blends that have a far higher percentage of renewable fuels compared to any other fuel station in the province.

The retail side of Topia Greenstop will also be expanding.  Topia GreenStop will be offering a  greater range of green household improvement products and food choices to create a one stop environmentally conscious destination.

As a response to interest across North America,  Topia GreenStop is working with licensees to open new locations across North America.

Contact Information

Topia GreenStop and Real Café
613-594-4777
www,topiagreenstop.com