Are vehicle workshops enviro-friendly?
We have all seen those that look like a junkyard, and then there are those that are squeaky clean and organised. Which do you prefer?
The automotive sector is increasingly coming under inspection to improve its green credentials.
Dewald Ranft, chairman of the Motor Industry Workshop Association (MIWA), a proud association of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI), acknowledges this and says,” We keep looking for new and better ways to minimise the environmental impact that a car service has. Did you know, for example, that one litre of used engine oil could pollute a million litres of water? The same holds true of other car fluids, such as coolant, and brake and transmission oils.”
We value customers who choose eco-friendly workshops and we put a lot of effort into this area. We urge consumers to only support workshops that recycle or dispose of waste responsibly.”
For Ranft, there are three things you need to consider when you take your car for service or repair work.
- How does the facility dispose of old oil, oil rags, oil filters, and oil containers?
Are these items being collected by a reputable waste management company? Will they be recycled and disposed of in the correct manner or are they simply dumped down the sewer?
- Where does the spillage go? When the workshop washes its floors or even their hands, does that dirty water go back into the sewer or waste water system? Do they have oil traps/separators connected to their drains?
It is also worth checking if they have spill kits for their oil spills in the workshop and whether these spill kits are environmentally friendly. Ethical workshops use eco-friendly products like non-toxic degreasers to protect the environment.
- Ever thought about what happens to the water your workshop uses to clean your car? Is it recycled and re-used, or is it allowed to just drain away?
Surely as an enviro-friendly consumer, you should be concerned. MIWA certainly is. “We are conscious of the impact a car workshop can have on the environment and that’s why it is becoming critically important for workshops to follow environmentally friendly practices to close the loop of waste and for consumers to be more circumspect in the workshops they select,” concludes Ranft.
Source: Cathy Findley PR
