Clean Green Collision Introduces Fleet Auto Body Repair Program To The Bay Area

Oakland, CA—May 30, 2011—Clean Green Collision, an East Bay collision repair shop, is pleased to announce the expansion of its sustainable fleet auto body repair program for Northern California corporations and public agencies.

The auto body repair industry is an extremely dirty business. Current local, state and federal regulation does not prevent shops from using toxic chemicals, known carcinogens and air pollutants that are harmful to the environment, customers and workers, and there is almost no industry self-regulation. 

Jacque Andres founder of CGC believes that his shop is unique in fleet repair services.  “We work with fleet owners to create an efficient work flow stream, we negotiate competitive pricing based on volume  and we use sustainable techniques that minimize health risks to our workers and to car drivers.  

Andres has painstakingly redesigned the typical body shop, inventing technology such as double layer filtration systems where it didn’t exist. CGC features these sustainable techniques and products:

·        Water borne color paints (rather than solvent borne) that emit little VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and that are air dried rather than heat dried. These paints eliminate the use of solvents for clean up.

·        Ultraviolet curing body fillers and primers that reduce or eliminate the use of solvents. (This process is similar to the way dentists cure filling material.)

·        Multi-stage dust filters in controlled work environments. An Andres invention that he calls the eco-plenum to help recurculate the paint bboth emitions.

·        Ceiling filters to trap dust that would otherwise escape through the roof into the air.

·        Recycling and/or proper disposal of all paint waste and dismantled car parts.

·        CGC washes its cars with a high-pressure wash systems that uses minimal amounts of water and bio-degradable soap. All runoff water if filtered before it goes into the proper drains.

·        Certification as a green business by Alameda County. Recycling of all paper glass and plastic products, use of energy efficient lighting and the other requirements needed to be certified.

Jacques Andres became a proponent of sustainable collision repair after personally experiencing a physical reaction to body shop work. He had purchased a newly painted car that he was driving home, and within a few minutes came down with intense, flu-like symptoms. He realized that paint particles had entered the interior and were causing his response. That day Andres decided he would change his approach to auto body repair. At CGC every car has the air vents and the interior tightly sealed so that dust and paint do not enter the car, protecting his customers from unwanted chemicals and particulates.

Through these sustainable practices CGC is able to reduce emissions of paint and dust by large amounts without any sacrifice in the quality of work the shop performs. Andres is constantly researching the newest developments in clean auto body repair. He predicts that breakthroughs in paint technology in the next coming years will eliminate more of the remaining VOCs from the spray booth. 

Fleet managers can meet sustainability criteria, insure the improved health of their drivers and create green marketing and pr opportunities for management by switching to Clean Green Collision.