Innovation

Certified Collision Center is an auto body shop that goes as green as possible in every step of the work they do repairing cars.

For instance, instead of regular car paint, they use water-based paint, a more sustainable alternative as it contains fewer harmful chemicals that could pollute waterways and the soil. Even if this kind of paint is 15% more expensive than the regular one other car body shops use, their customers appreciate this as it contributes to a greener future. Daniel, the product manager we interviewed, explained that other companies use cheaper and less eco-friendly paint to make more profit. What they do not understand, he claimed, is that customers - especially the younger ones - are increasingly aware of the climate crisis we are going through. If those companies do not switch to greener alternatives today, they might have more profits now, but they will have to deal with a much smaller market share in the future.

The company not only uses a more eco-friendly kind of paint but also gives paint thinner a second use: they reuse and repurpose it to clean equipment. A great way to use resources skillfully! Instead of having to buy separate cleaning materials to clean the cars, they take in, reusing paint thinner is a great alternative as it reduces resource consumption and comes at a cheaper price point for the business. It combines the goals of profitability and sustainability, proving to other companies that making a change is possible.

Their sustainable practice mainly complies with SDG12 (Responsible Consumption and Production, they include greener alternatives in every step of their work). However, each type of innovation throughout Certified Collision Center’s process stages also contributes to SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation, as the company, prevents toxic chemicals from entering waterways);

SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth (as they prove that profitability and sustainability can combine in a business); and

SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, as they innovate in what is considered one of the most polluting industries, the automotive industry).

Inspiration

We asked our interviewee, Daniel Derlis, what inspired him to undertake ecological changes in his business. He answered that doing what is right is what made them change. He remarked on an important reason to go green which is doing it for the coming generations:

You have to think about the coming generations; you have to think about the current generation. If we don’t act now, it’s going to be too late for you guys! Even if it costs a little extra, you have to do it. Do what's right!

Also, he explained to us how his business differs from others because of how they process waste and materials used in their job. He told us they make efforts in every step so that the overall result of their actions is greener and meets customers’ demands.

We choose to absorb that extra 15% cost that comes with paint because it’s eco-friendly. Many companies simply don’t do that! They won’t do the extra work to be more sustainable! Also, we treat water differently than others. We filter it, and then the filters get cleaned out every six months; all these processes cost money. Of course! And many companies won’t do that because of greed.

Needless to say, making an effort to build a more sustainable future when they could be making much more money at the expense of climate is inspiring.

Overall impact

It is to contribute from their position as an automotive business industry to a sustainable-based process of repairing cars. It’s strongly linked to the company’s belief that change comes from doing what’s right in your circumstances.

Daniel affirmed that the impact of their innovations along their operations is high in terms of market share and employee numbers in the long run. For example, in their VOC report of the 10/1/2022— 10/31/2022 financial year, they compute a grand total (subdivided into VOC categories throughout the document) of 98.59 gallons, from which 100% of their use is sustainably driven.

Business benefit

Our interviewee remarked that this kind of innovation naturally increases the prices of the services offered by the Certified Collision Center. In the short term, this requires a perfect balance between these green practices and the company's profitability. The company is making people aware of its environmental implementations making additional costs compensated by securing demand because of their compromise. And in the long term, younger generations will be fully conscious of how crucial it is for the demand to shift from consuming goods and services produced by polluting companies to more sustainable ones.

About new investment opportunities, Daniel specified the key role the government plays in broadening the possibilities of recycling and reusing and in making the initial cost of going greener less damaging to the business's profitability, all this to incentivize economic sectors to work towards sustainability. He added, "There are a lot of plastic covers (one plastic cover is useful for one car, and they repair 50-60 cars a week) that can’t be recycled because the option is simply unavailable."

Social and environmental benefit

Certified Collision Center uses machinery to recycle the freon from the air conditioners.

They count on proper storage for the used paint thinner, coolant, cardboard, tires, and bumper covers so they can recycle them correctly.

They apply water-based paint, which is 15% more expensive than non-water-based paint. So the residuals don’t affect the ecosystems.

The sanding vacuum workers contain all the dust from sanding, so the debris doesn't go into the air.

The spray booths have vents on the bottom, sucking all the fumes down- so the fumes don’t go into our atmosphere.

Interview

Daniel Derlis, Production Manager