A continuing challenge for a sustainable repair industry

Is your autobody repair shop aiming for a more sustainable future? Becoming more sustainable and reducing your carbon footprint could win one autobody repairer a study tour with DuPont Performance Coatings.

The need for truly sustainable options for the 21st century remains one of the most critical challenges facing the global community. As a society we need to find ways to encourage innovation in ways that drive energy and resource efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, develop a more sustainable infrastructure and encourage job creation.

Within the repair industry, refining sustainable work practices and monitoring how they are implemented is a topic that is quite varied from bodyshop to bodyshop. It is always positive to see more shops adopt a larger sustainable approach to their business.

It’s also interesting to see bodyshops not only working out ways to reduce their carbon footprint and be a little kinder to the environment, but reap the benefits for their efforts.
Climate change is likely to affect Australians and Australian businesses by altering long-term weather patterns. The potential costs to the environment and economy should be of concern to everyone.

There are a number of ways you can limit the effects of climate change on your business.

Smaller carbon footprint

Your carbon footprint is a measure of total greenhouse gas emissions – that is, the impact our activities have on the environment, and in particular climate change.

Most of the impact comes from burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating and transportation, and Australians have about the largest carbon footprint in the world.

The process for reducing a carbon footprint can mean making changes to business activities, including spending less on raw materials, energy and water, reduced waste and finding new market opportunities for “green” goods and services.

These processes include:
1. Awareness of sustainability and carbon footprint education

2. Benefits of reducing your carbon footprint

3. Current legislation

4. What is a carbon footprint?

5. How to calculate my carbon footprint

6. Carbon management, and

7. Sustainability appraisal.

It is necessary to cover current legislation and the benefits of reducing the body shops carbon footprint. Results and measuring success is important to owners who will want the reassurance that they will make a difference at the end of the day.

A bodyshop’s footprint

A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact bodyshop activities have on the environment, and in particular climate change.

Carbon means energy which means cost to the bodyshop.

The carbon footprint is a measurement of all greenhouse gases we individually produce and has units of tonnes (or kg) of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Through consideration and action in implementing improvements in key areas of sustainability, many believe this can be a direct route to a successful, profitable business that adds value to the customers, their customers, consumers, and the environment.
They may only be simple things, however with continuous improvement and paying attention to these areas, you can certainly benefit your business too.

Look into how your bodyshop can reduce or use green energy.

Analyse how to reduce your vehicle pool fuel costs. Do you have a reduction plan on the usage of gas?

Consider ways waste is disposed of. Is it in an environmentally sound way?
Water conservation is one key area shops can capitalise on.

Proper spray booth equipment: is it suitable for the business and the types of jobs, and is it being used by your staff in the most efficient manner?

Products – would you consider using a waterborne paint system? Are you using VOC compliant products? Also consider the hardeners you use – fast, medium and slow. Are you using the correct seasonal products? The idea is to think and work smarter, not harder

Do your staff use the correct colour tools? With correct use you can reduce wastage in paint and time – a little education can go a long way to improving your profits and the sustainable nature of your business, and how can you offset your carbon emissions and reduce the impact on the environment.

The underlying basics are easy to see – efficiency and low use of resources, and reducing wastage not only helps the environment – but reduces your costs and will increase your productivity.

Through the DuPont Performance Services program, bodyshop owners will have the opportunity to benchmark their businesses across many areas and be provided with realistic ways of practically streamlining their business and reducing their impact on the environment.

Over the coming months the DuPont Performance Services team will be looking at additional ways they help bodyshops improve their key functions, reduce waste and their carbon footprint.

Bodyshops that have implemented sustainable work practices could be in the running the DuPont Performance Coatings 2010 sustainability awards and be in with a chance to win a study tour with DuPont in 2011.

Fill in the entry form in this edition of Australasian Paint and Panel or visit the DPC website http://www.dupontpc.com.au/sustainability to enter.