REC-90 is an ethanol-free, 90 octane unleaded gasoline blend designed for use in recreational/marine engines which can be damaged by the ethanol found in other gasoline blends. It is also usable in some aviation engines and automotive engines, though it has not been thoroughly tested for cars and trucks.

Unlike most stations in the plains states which carry ethanol-free 87 octane unleaded alongside 10% ethanol 87 octane unleaded, many states carry ethanol-free gasoline specifically marketed as recreational fuel designed for marine equipment and small engines.

CONVERSATIONS & NEWS RELATED TO REC 90 FUELS
Carol Fisher, office manager at Ridderman & Sons Oil Co. in Plainwell, MI says, "The ethanol in blends of gasoline sold at the pump sucks moisture out of the air and gums up fuel systems of small two-stroke motors. "

"The ethanol, the alcohol, will eat through rubber hoses and gunk up the carburetor," she said. "The 90 octane that we sell here is pure gasoline. It's called recreational gas. A lot of people use it for chain saws, lawnmowers, boats, anything with two-cycle motors."

She said the gas is used in the vintage cars that visit the Gilmore Car Museum. 

Tom Izenbaard, co-owner of Hoekstra Hardware in Kalamazoo says, "The shelf life of gasoline with ethanol? About a month, compared to three months for the non-ethanol gasoline the engines operate best on. But the solution isn't as simple as dumping out the bad gas and putting in some fresh stuff.  Since the ethanol has been out there... 70 percent of my work (repairing lawn mowers) is fuel-related problems."

"In the past, when gas went bad, we'd just clean the carburetor and fuel system and be good to go. Now, what I'm seeing more and more, is that we often must replace the whole carburetor, it's a bad thing." Izenbaard said. 

Awareness for Recreational 90 Fuel is slowly catching on, but it's not exactly a new fuel. The National Marine Manufacturers Association distributed 'Look Before You Pump' messaging and materials to its members and other stakeholders back in 2013. The campaign was created by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), an international trade association representing 100 small engine, utility vehicle and outdoor power equipment manufacturers and suppliers. The site says: "The 'Look Before You Pump' campaign helps consumers protect their boat, other non-road vehicles, and outdoor power and small engine equipment investments."