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More and more people are concerned about the environmental consequences of their choices. The truth is, as an individual consumer, there’s only so much you can do. You can go vegan, swear off air travel, and knit all your own clothing from hemp you grow in your backyard, but it won’t change the overall health of the planet’s ecosystems. But maybe you can inspire change in others, and they can inspire other people, and so on.
While getting everyone to make their own hemp clothing is probably a step too far (or perhaps several steps too far), there are smaller, more manageable changes we can all make. With regards to auto body repair, there are numerous choices we can make to be friendlier to our local and global environments. This includes how we approach auto paint repair, including for electric cars.
There are many good reasons to go for an auto paint repair. There are any number of scratches, scrapes, dents, or other abrasions that damage your vehicle’s paint. These are unsightly and can lead to larger problems if left untreated.
Another good reason to go for auto paint repair is if you want to sell your vehicle. Painting your house before selling it is often the most cost-effective thing you do to increase the sale price. The same is true for vehicles, and while it may seem a bit silly, the new buyer of a home or a car can easily paint it or get it painted themselves, paint can make a big difference. Subconsciously, a fresh coat of paint can make something look much more appealing, whether it’s a mansion, a condo, an SUV, or a sedan.
And there’s one more good reason to get an auto paint repair: You want one. This may not be a repair per se, but if you don’t love the color of your vehicle, you can easily change it to something that sparks joy. There’s definitely value in that.
It’s natural to be skeptical of consumer products that claim to be environmentally friendly. Are the products really that eco-conscious? And furthermore, is there any need for such a product to be eco-friendly in the first place?
We all know that everything to do with automobiles carries an environmental consequence, and that includes collision repair. But the effects of vehicle paint on the environment as obvious as the effects of burning gasoline or improperly disposing of engine oil. So, just what’s wrong with traditional automotive paint?
Traditional automotive paints contain VOCs. These compounds help with paint application and drying processes. Unfortunately, VOCs evaporate and mix with the air, causing pollution, smog, and ozone depletion. This worsens local air quality and contributes to climate change concerns. The takeaway: VOCs imperil the health of the environment and of people.
It’s not just this nebulous concept of “the environment” that suffers from older types of automotive paint. They hurt people, too; perhaps even you and people you know.
Traditional automotive paints use solvents, which contain chemicals that pose significant health threats. Auto body repair technicians who have regularly worked with these paints have suffered from respiratory issues, skin problems, and other health issues. Even auto paint repair customers, to a lesser extent, can experience health repercussions from exposure to older automotive paint.
Here are some eco-friendly choices you can make when you’re considering going to a collision repair shop for auto body painting:
When discussing the best consumer eco option available, the best answer is often: Don’t buy anything. What’s the most eco-friendly phone or laptop? It’s hard to say, but if the one you have still works, the best choice for the environment is to probably just keep using it for a while longer.
Unfortunately, when it comes to auto paint repair, this line of thinking doesn’t really hold water. Unless you’re interested in new paint for purely cosmetic reasons, you probably should get that auto paint repair. Letting scratches and other damage go unrepaired could allow moisture to seep underneath the protective coating on your vehicle. This can cause oxidation to spread, potentially reducing the structural integrity of the panel, and possibly even spreading from one panel to another.
Just as water-based paints are better for the environment than oil-based paints for your house, water-based car paints are also beneficial. These paints use water as a solvent rather than harmful VOCs. It’s also possible to apply waterborne paint with less clear coat, meaning less overall paint is required, saving resources.
UV-curing paints don’t use solvents to cure, relying on ultraviolet (UV) light instead. The UV light can cause the paint to harden and cure. UV-curable automotive paint dries quickly and doesn’t emit VOCs into the air.
Powdered paints also use heat instead of solvents to cure. Auto body repair technicians apply powder paint with electrostatic applicators to form a watertight and durable finish.
Low-VOC paints contain fewer harmful solvents than traditional automotive paints. These paints offer a compromise between performance and environmental friendliness.
When it comes to auto paint repair, every person and every vehicle is different. If you’re not sure what type of car paint or auto body painting you need, it’s also worthwhile discussing your options with a technician at a trusted collision repair shop.
