This environmental guidance is for businesses that repair, service and maintain motor vehicles, including cars, light vans, coaches, buses and motorcycles.
This includes garages, workshops, service centres and other sites carrying out:
- general servicing and accident repairs
- vehicle body repairs and finishing, including paint spraying
- electrical diagnostics, maintenance and repair
- testing and servicing air-conditioning systems
- tyre fitting
- valeting.
Find out how to:
- dispose of vehicle wastes, such as tyres, batteries and oils
- use hazardous substances, such as refinishing products containing solvents and isocyanates safely
- avoid causing pollution from storing fuels and oils.
Environmental impacts of vehicle repair and maintenance businesses
Vehicle repair and maintenance businesses can have a number of impacts on the environment. Examples include:
- air emissions from vehicle exhausts or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from respraying and painting vehicles
- land contamination from accidental spills of acids, solvents and oils, other spent fuels or from previous use of the site
- noise pollution from equipment and machinery and vehicle movements
- waste disposal, such as vehicles and vehicle parts, tyres, batteries, oils and paints
- water pollution caused by contaminated run-off from washing vehicles or forecourts, or from oil and chemical storage areas.
How can NetRegs help you?
Our guidance could help you to:
- avoid prosecution and receive fewer visits from environmental regulators
- increase efficiency and productivity
- reduce your operating costs
- be more likely to obtain business from government bodies and large businesses that require their business partners to manage their environmental impacts effectively
- improve your reputation amongst staff, customers and the public
- increase the chance of securing funding to expand your business by demonstrating that your environmental impacts are well managed.
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