# What else can non-professionals do?



## Orca (Apr 16, 2007)

I read the 'This Section' thread (see: http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=139353) with great interest and there are a lot of good points in there about promoting the use of green products, promoting green practices, negating competition and so on ...

... but what else can the home car washer do?

We can use water collected in water butts in our buckets. We can rinse off using a watering can. We can spray using hand pumped sprayers. All well and good, but what else can we do?

What about other products? What else out there is "green". Does biodegradeable actually mean okay for the environment? Is there a growing ********** list, perhaps graded with environmental impact?


----------



## ajc347 (Feb 4, 2009)

I think the issue is somewhat clouded by the issue that, in line with a number of activities undertaken in everyday life, car detailing is, by it's very nature, environmentally unfriendly as it relies on a number of industrial process which consume fossil fuel in the production of products which are then packaged in a variety of materials which may not necessarily be either biodegradable or recyclable.

The argument would follow that if we were truly seeking to act with an environmentally-orientated consciousness then we wouldn't clean or polish a car ever. After all the whole process of detailing is not one based upon necessity but rather one of vanity, in that the primary aim is to enable a car to look better.

Given that we have made a clear choice to detail cars we are then faced with the choice of seeking to potentially limit environmental damage through product choice. Interestingly, I've yet to come across a detailing product which is specifically marketed in terms of the minimizing of environmental impact even though there are product ranges out there which could, quite legitimately, seek to do this (some Dodo products spring to mind for example).

Without details of the exact chemical composition of products, the environmental impact of the industrial procees used in the manufacturing of products, the recyclability of packaging and details of the transportation processes of both raw material and finished products, all of wich are neccessary to make truly informed decisions about the greeness of products, I am not sure that there is much that both professionals or non-professionals can actually do in practice other than make guesstimates about the potential environmental impact a product may or may not have.

ONR has been mentioned as a potential green product, for example. What we do not know is the carbon footprint associated with the production of this product compared against a shampoo which can be bought in Halfords or Tesco. Indeed, it is likely that some shampoos, especially if they have been manaufactured in the UK, may actually be more environmentally friendly than a product like ONR for UK users when the wider picture is taken into account. The oppositemay, of course, be true if the same two products were to be compared in the USA (as the environmental costs of fuel used in transportation and the associated pollutants would need to be factored into the equation).

In conclusion, the only actions I think that we can reliably undertake is to:

1) Only detail a car when absolutely necessary.
2) Use products which are made as locally as possible (as this will most likely involve lower transportation costs).
3) Buy as bigger sizes as possible (given that comparively less energy production goes into making larger sizes of a product).
4) Make use of comparative environmental data about products when, or if, it becomes available, and base purchasing choices upon this.


----------



## Orca (Apr 16, 2007)

Superb! Yes, a lot to think about there. I've already started buying concentrates, so as to lower the transportation of actual water, but I would like to know more about where those concentrates come from originally.

Another angle could well be that I drive a 20 year old car. In the last 7 years of owning that car I have NOT swapped my car every 2-3 years 2-3 times, whichever way you cut it, for a new car as my profession might dictate. I look after it as best I can and I know my hydrocarbons are actually lower than 3 year old car (I blind bet a lad at work when his car came up for its first MOT), so mechanically it is sound and one thing I can do to keep that in tip-top condition on the road is wash it regularly and use a wax to protect it. Surely that, over the space of even 2-3 years, is less environmentally damaging than the production of one new car?

In this closed loop, it's all swings and roundabouts, ain't it ...

Yes, lowering international transportation, buying bulk, buying concentrates and seeking out as much information about the products as possible.

On the reverse, perhaps manufacturers that make something harmful could label their products appropriately - I think ValetPro might well already do that.


----------



## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

I am not a tree hugger and don't believe that man is solely responsible for global warming, but I do agree that we can make the world a better place for our kids/grandkids.

I use ONR as a car wash at home and have done so for over a year, I can do two cars with 2 gallons of water. OK th estuff is shipped over from the states but it is shipped as cargo and the plane would have flown anyway.

I am sure a UK company could offer a similar product.

I have a few customers now who prefer me to use this technology as they have septic tanks and washing cars just fills them up.

I only ever use steam on the interiors now, now more chemicals or wet and dry vac. I can clean an interior of a car spotless with about 1 litre of water, plus no dirty water dumped down the drain.

I advertise green car cleaning now and have a few enquiries.


----------



## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

some good ideas being discussed here :thumb:

For me it is all about LESS...

Less water use & run-off
Less chemical use & zero use of 'nasty' products like Tardis etc
Less packaging
Less waste
Less energy use
maybe even less product use via long life products?

IMHO that has got to be more positive, and by products like less exposure to chemicals for the detailer and car user, less use of resources in production and shipping etc.

The obvious eco option is zero car washing, but of course we are trying to find a compromise here


----------



## caledonia (Sep 13, 2008)

I agree with Damon on this.
For me increased Dilution and less packaging is the key.
Cutting back on products and chemicals.

I had become very lazy with regards many ideas I had and the use of steam.
But only recently have become really invigorated once more.
I am finding more and more uses for the steamer and so in turn cutting down my chemical usage and run off. I cant believe the amount of gear I used to lug around and these remain static now. Just because I could not find the time to fill it up and wait a few minutes for the steamer to heat up.:wall:

So in short and at present the steam cleaner is the way to go for me.
No need for all these APCs, wheel cleaners, disinfectant's, wasting water wet vacuuming carpets and mats, glass cleaner. The list can go on and on.

So considering the use of ONR and other waterless products being used and steam cleaner in hand. I have next to no run off. If any at all.

I personally feel its better to have a well maintained car. So cutting down on the stronger cleaning agents, than just to leave the car to it really does need aserious amount of water and cleaners. I have always found that a maintenance wash is far easier and product friendly than a full on cleanse, every few months. Less run off and less products used. As well as maintaining the LSP this also helps.

Down side and taking the whole picture in. I end up with a lot of dirty MFs, so off set slightly by the washing and cleaning.

But I think its a fair reflection of where I stand at present.

Gordon.


----------



## Relaited (Jan 27, 2009)

Personally, I think the 2 biggest achievements are in using less water and controlling the pollution.

So, pull your car onto the landscape to use the ground as a natural filter and preventing pollution from entering storm drains. Put a shut off valve on your hose is acceptable, significantly reducing water consumption. Use a No Rinse or waterless product.

lastly, Vote Green Everyday. I do this all the time. I go in and ask a store owner how they are going green, or encourage them to green if I can make a suggestion. It lets them know that green choices are important to their customers.

I write articles for the local news, and my latest is on Local, Local, Local. Support your local Stores, that buy from local businesses, that reduce the bad footprint, that support the local economy with taxes, etc.

Cheers, thank you for asking the question and Voting Green Everyday!


----------



## Planet Man (Apr 12, 2008)

Interesting post this as we are looking at a great product at the moment. We could send it out correctly blended and bottled in 500ml bottle c/w trigger or we could sell it as a concentrate in a small bottle and let the user add water to complete the product.

This would mean less packaging, less weight, and cheaper to post. The user would still need a bottle and spray trigger at their end so maybe we are adding to the packaging however the bottle and trigger could be re-used. This would allow for only a bottle of concentrate to be sent out should the customer re-order.

Finally the product is very safe with no harsh chemicals so pretty good for the enviroment too:thumb:


----------



## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

this is a hugely complex area if we are looking at the entire 'eco-impact' of a product.

I was working with some clients recently and as always, got into some great discussions about their manufacturing process (thats part of my job) and I was shocked how much water and energy was used in just producing a small amount of a product that 90% of people here enjoy on a regular basis...

Its easy to focus on the obvious stuff, like rain water, run-off etc, but sadly almost impossible to really know much about the cost in resources throughout the lifecycle of a product.

One thing that has really changed for me is the awareness of what it 'costs' to accumulate more stuff - in every product category and not just detailing. That new bottle of XYZ on the shelf, the new DVD player, the new shirt in the wardrobe etc. Living on a little less 'stuff' in general makes a good difference in general.


----------



## dsr (Oct 24, 2009)

Planet Man said:


> Interesting post this as we are looking at a great product at the moment. We could send it out correctly blended and bottled in 500ml bottle c/w trigger or we could sell it as a concentrate in a small bottle and let the user add water to complete the product.
> 
> This would mean less packaging, less weight, and cheaper to post. The user would still need a bottle and spray trigger at their end so maybe we are adding to the packaging however the bottle and trigger could be re-used. This would allow for only a bottle of concentrate to be sent out should the customer re-order.
> 
> Finally the product is very safe with no harsh chemicals so pretty good for the enviroment too:thumb:


So why not offer two products - a starter kit (the spray & concentrate) and a replenishment kit - just the concentrate. It may make for return sales.

D


----------



## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

Some products should be offered like this, (don't like the price) but the transportation and packing rocks

concentrate


----------

