As workshop owners, we are part of an industry that has enormous potential to impact the environment. For example, did you know that just one litre of used engine oil can pollute up to a million litres of water?
This highlights the importance of operating in a sustainable, environmentally responsible manner. Use this checklist to determine if you’re on the right track:
- How do you dispose of old oil, oil rags, oil filters, and oil containers? As a MIWA-accredited workshop, you are expected to have these collected by a reputable waste management company so that they can be recycled or disposed of in the correct manner. This is far safer than throwing them away as you would any other waste or – worse still – pouring oil into the sewer system where it can contaminate groundwater or find its way back to the sea.
- What do you do with spillage and dirty water after you have washed the workshop? It’s a good idea to fit oil traps on your drains so that it does not re-enter the wastewater system.
- Do you have a barrier (like an industrial acrylic floor system) to prevent spills from products like oil and degreaser from soaking through concrete and into the environment?
- Do you have spill kits to address oil spills?
- Do you use environmentally friendly products, like non-toxic degreasers?
- Do you recycle water used to wash cars, or do you let it drain away? Consider installing a waterless wash system to prevent water wastage.