Auto collision repair shops can be innately wasteful. From chemicals and paint to various plastics and metals, repairing a car uses many resources. It’s our mission at Colorado Coach Auto Body to do everything that we can to reduce our environmental impact. We’ve implemented a series of eco-friendly practices that we stand by, from utilizing eco-friendly auto paint, recycling our plastics and metals, reusing paint thinner, and much more. Read on to learn about the steps we take to be eco-friendly.
Environmentally Friendly Waterborne Auto Paint
For all paint jobs, we utilize PPG Envirobase® waterborne high-performance paints. This auto paint came out in 1999 to meet newly introduced low VOC legislation. You might be wondering how this paint operates at a lower VOC level. Waterborne coatings are better for the environment because they use water to dilute the resin instead of organic solvents. This process makes paints odorless and adds fewer pollutants to the air. PPG Envirobase® paints are also known for eliminating the need for expensive stirring equipment, meaning less paint waste.
Though these paints are less impactful to the environment, they provide an accurate color formula and increased durability in the auto painting process. Using this eco-friendly paint has also improved our repair cycle times.
Recycling Auto Metals
When a vehicle has been in an accident, parts will always need to be replaced. The accident causes damage, whether extensive and requiring multiple parts to be replaced, or only surface damage. These damaged parts will need to be disposed of, which include plastics, aluminum, other metals, and more depending on the extent of the damage. We ensure that our team members separate all metals, aluminum, glass, cardboard, and plastic materials, and we partner with Rocky Mountain Recycling for the proper disposal. We also make sure to recycle our engine oils, antifreeze, and any additional chemicals that we use.
In the past, these items would have ended up in the landfill, causing the potential for harmful chemicals to be exposed to the environment. Recycling these materials saves auto shops money in trash expenses, and is a social responsibility.
Additional Eco-Friendly Shop Features
Outside of eco-friendly auto paints and recycling practices, we are doing more to reduce our environmental impact. We recycle and reuse our paint thinner within our auto collision repair facility. We utilize a recycling system in house when cleaning paint that pumps the paint thinner through it and separates the solid materials. After it’s finished in this process, we can reuse the paint thinner, majorly reducing the amount of paint thinner we purchase and dispose of.
Our auto body shop has been retrofitted with high-efficient GE T8 lighting throughout, increasing the lifespan of the lights, and reducing the electricity usage. We also use biodegradable, eco-friendly cleaners throughout our shop for general cleaning purposes.
Local Certifications
Being located in Boulder, Colorado, and servicing the local community and beyond has major benefits. The city of Boulder has a multitude of eco-friendly services and programs to help keep the community environmentally friendly. The Partners for a Clean Environment Program (PACE) offers free expert services and certification programs for businesses that maintain eco-friendly habits. Due to our general standards for VOC’s and recycling habits, Colorado Coach Auto Body is proud to be a PACE certified business within the Boulder, Colorado community.
Everything that we do to maintain an eco-friendly environment makes our shop a healthier and safer place to work for our employees, as well as our customers who come into the shop. We will continue to strive to be the best in the community by keeping our environmental impact low.
