4 Ways to Reduce Waste as an Automotive Maintenance Technician

reduce waste once you become an automotive maintenance technicianReduce, reuse, recycle; we’ve all heard the saying a million times before. It’s essential that everyone does their part to reduce waste and stop hazardous materials from entering the environment. Fortunately, when it comes to making a big impact on the environment, few places offer more potential than automotive shops. They can produce a lot of waste, which is why it’s up to the individuals working in the automotive industry to step up and help reduce it. Not only is reducing waste good for the environment, it’s also beneficial for an auto shop’s bottom line as it helps to cut down on costs and wasted products.

If you’re considering a career in the automotive industry, read on to learn more about how you can work to reduce waste during your career.

1. Use Refillable Spray Bottles Once You Become an Automotive Maintenance Technician

Many liquids used in automotive shops, like cleaning products, are sprayed out of a bottle. If you use a new bottle every time, once you finish it, that bottle is going to end up in the recycling or in the trash. You and other individuals with careers in the auto industry can help reduce the amount of bottles that go into the garbage by using a reusable spray bottle and refilling that one from a large bulk container.

When you’re refilling the bottle, always remember to put something underneath to catch any spills or drips. You can then pour the spilled product back into the container. This helps to ensure that usable product isn’t being wasted, and it’ll also help keep the shop’s costs down.

2. Suggest Using a Professional Laundry Service Once You Begin Your Career

As you’ll soon learn once you become an automotive maintenance technician, auto repair shops produce a lot of dirty and oily rags and uniforms. While this is unavoidable, you can help reduce waste by handling it correctly. Never throw out oily rags. Instead, your auto shop should hire a professional laundering service to come in once a week and professionally clean the dirty rags and uniforms. They will be able to clean your rags and uniforms more effectively than workers can, and you’ll prevent tons of rags from ending up in a landfill.

3. Only Get New Supplies When You Have Emptied the Previous Container

Sometimes reducing waste is as simple as changing a procedure. Try implementing a rule that no worker is allowed to get and open a brand new container of product without bringing the empty one back first. Products can spoil when they are left open for too long, and when each person keeps grabbing a new container when they need it, the shop will be left with several open containers of the same product. By making sure each product is finished before opening a new one, you can reduce the number of products wasted in the shop as a result of spoilage.

Don’t grab a new bottle until you finish the last one
Don’t grab a new bottle until you finish the last one

4. Purchase Supplies in Bulk Once You Become an Automotive Maintenance Technician

Purchasing supplies in bulk is an excellent way to reduce waste! If you’re working in an automotive shop that uses a lot of a certain product, either change the ordering procedure yourself, or if you don’t have the authority, suggest a bulk purchase to your manager. By purchasing in bulk, your shop can reduce the amount of packaging and shipping materials used. This could save a lot of plastic, Styrofoam, and cardboard from ending up in the recycling bin or trash. Another additional benefit that comes from purchasing in bulk is that it’s usually cheaper than making multiple smaller orders.

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