Top 10 Ways To Green Your Auto Shop
| 1) | Use preventive techniques to avoid spills and leaks. Incorporate the use of oil caddies, drip pans, and leak-proof spigots. |
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| 2) | Use dry clean-up methods when spills do occur. Prevent hazardous materials from entering the sewer with squeegees instead of absorbents. |
| 3) | Use an aqueous cleaning system instead of solvents for parts washing and for cleaning brakes. |
| 4) | Reduce your solid waste by utilizing spray containers that you can refill instead of producing multiple containers of waste. |
| 5) | Install motion sensors or use a lights timer to save energy in rooms that don’t see constant activity during the day. |
| 6) | Order fluids like anti-freeze and oil in bulk to reduce costs, minimize spills, and prevent excess generation of waste containers. |
| 7) | Try reusable aerosol cans and switch the products containing RCRA-listed hazardous solvents with non RCRA-listed solvents. |
| 8) | Test fluids like anti-freeze and oil before changing them, and recycle and re-use these fluids when possible. |
| 9) | Set up recycling for paper, glass, cardboard, plastic, and other recyclable materials like crushed oil filters. |
| 10) | Check energy and water bills monthly to ensure that you are maintaining your conservation efforts and aren’t losing water through undiscovered plumbing leaks. |
Videos: Preventing Pollution at Your Auto Repair Facilities
Part 1: Aqueous Parts Cleaners, Chapter 1: Introduction to the Series
1 min 52 sec
This is a series of training videos that will help an auto repair shop implement or maintain best environmental practices on a daily basis. These methods help to promote a safer work environment and a healthier community.
Part 1: Aqueous Parts Cleaners, Chapter 2: Microbial Sink-Top
6 min 6 sec
Most shops traditionally use solvents for part cleaning, but aqueous cleaning methods provide are far friendlier to our health and the environment. They are also more cost-effective than solvents.
Articles on Greening Your Shop
Vehicle Service and Repair Program Fact Sheets
This fact sheet offers information on environmentally-friendly practices in auto repair shops and how-tos for routine tasks like spill clean-up and minimizing waste generation. There are also case studies featuring shops that implemented the practices detailed on the site.
Dispose of Car Waste Properly
This article offers tips for properly disposing of the waste your car generates. It includes links to help you locate hazardous waste facilities nearby and lists many of the potential benefits to the environment that your efforts helped to produce.
Auto Repair and Fleet Maintenance Fact Sheets
This EPA resource page on pollution prevention in the auto repair industry has helpful PDFs to aid you in greening your shop. They contain step-by-step instructions for cleaning techniques and even for calculating the money you can save by utilizing greener methods.
National
- http://www.epa.gov/
- http://www.osha.gov/
- http://www.energy.gov/
- http://www.ccar-greenlink.org/
- http://app2.nea.gov.sg/
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