• Subaru

Planet Subaru

596 Washington Street
Hanover, MA 02339

  • Sales: (888) 691-9568
  • Service: (888) 690-5839
  • Parts: (888) 607-1391

your undealership

Mother Nature



What have you done with your land that is different than the typical dealership?

The only green you'll find at most dealerships is a weed poking through the asphalt. Planet Subaru, one of the largest Subaru dealerships on the planet, is situated on almost 11 acres. But we set aside over half this acreage of prime real estate as a nature preserve for landscaping and undisturbed forest. When we moved in, we planted scores of trees in addition to the thousands of mature trees that were already here. From Route 53, Planet Subaru looks more like a country club than a car dealership. We even planted hardy grass and wildflowers that never require any watering, fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides.  Click to see a facility photo gallery.


Is Planet the world's only Subaru showroom powered entirely by the sun? 
Yes!  We installed a 78,540-watt solar power plant on the roof our building.  The Planet Power Plant comprises 374 solar panels, and occupies about a quarter acre of our roof.  It powers our entire showroom:  lights, computers, monitors, phones, fax machines, photocopiers, refrigerators, coffee makers...everything currently powered by burning fossil fuels.  Are we crazy?  Probably.  Read all about it.


What environmental awards have you won?



How about the "eco-nomics"--does your commitment to the environment mean your prices are higher?

No. In total, our efforts are expense neutral. We use savings in some areas to offset extra cost in others. It's true that some things we do just cost more---recycling our car wash water, for example, is more expensive. However, our xeriscape (hardy hardy grass and wildflowers)  saves us a fortune in sprinkler systems, water, fertilizer, herbicides, pesticides, and grass cutting. One of the unfair raps on the environmental movement is that respecting Mother Nature is bad for business. Every day we are proving that environmental responsibility can be good for business. Over the long term, there will be no economy if we don't take sensible action now.  Learn about why we work so hard to respect Mother Nature. 


How about other kinds of pollution?

We try to look at everything through an environmental filter. A few examples...we use "full cutoff" light shields on our lot lights to minimize light pollution, the bane of stargazers everywhere. We use no external paging in order to reduce noise pollution.  We use steel wheel weights (instead of cheaper lead) when we balance tires so there is no toxic waste to dispose of later. 


How does your recycling commitment exceed that of the typical dealership?

First of all, we recycled the entire building.  When we bought the property, we worked with the existing structure rather than tearing it down and starting over.  Oil filters are another good example. An oil filter retains half an ounce of oil even after draining it because the filter matrix is absorbent.  Many places throw them in the trash, along with the residual oil. 312 business days per year, times 30 oil changes per day, times half an ounce is over 350 gallons of oil we keep out of landfills (and ultimately, groundwater) every year.  Other examples:  we shred/recycle all our paper, we have separate dumpsters for cardboard and metal, and we recycle our car wash water.  If you're a business owner, learn more about what you can do to green your facility.


What do you do with trade-ins that are the end of their lives?

We donate cars to the Special Olympics, and facilitate the donations by customers of hundreds more. Their recycler drains all the fluids, disassembles the vehicles, sells useful parts, and recycles the rest. (Plus, our customers get a tax deduction and the Special Olympics uses the proceeds to fund their good work.)


What do you do for your vehicles to avoid vehicle cruelty?

All of our vehicles use fuel that is free of antibiotics and hormones.  Also, they are all cage free. 



To take a facility tour by video, click here. 







"My entire experience with Planet was very positive.  When I decided it was time for a safer vehicle, I began scouring the internet for the model that I wanted.  I stumbled upon your website and found exactly what I was looking for.  I was even more pleased to read about your philosophy as a dealership, particularly from an environmental standpoint.  So I made the decision to make the hour drive to you."  --Kerry B., Maynard, MA

Planet Subaru.  Your unDealership.

Subaaru Eco-Friendly