Lots of things these days are a taking a turn toward more environmentally friendly options, from plastic waste to the foods we choose to eat. And the car industry is no exception.
While there are efforts to encourage more electric vehicles on the roads with government subsidies and a wider range of options, there is also a push from manufacturers and auto body shops to use eco-friendly car paint.
Like anything that challenges the status quo, there was a bit of pushback when eco-friendly car paint started to make its way into the mainstream. Lots of people specializing in automotive paint thought that there was no way it could live up to traditional paints, and that the trade off for being environmentally friendly would be a sacrifice in quality.
But that’s simply not the case. Eco-friendly car paints are improving in quality, all while proving that you can have an amazing, long-lasting, high impact paint job and also not cause damage to the environment.
Still unsure? Here is everything you need to know about eco-friendly car paint.
Eco-friendly car paints are water-based, which made automotive car paint specialists balk in the beginning. The reason why this type of paint is considered eco-friendly is because the carrying agent used dissolves after it is applied and leaves behind only pigment and true colour.
The paint actually goes on smoothly, often without the rippling effects of traditional paints. They are also easy to blend and spray, actually more so than traditional paints, giving auto body shops an advantage because you don’t need special training, just a little bit of practice.
And they come in a wide range of colours, so there is no need to worry that there won’t be colour matching options. Plus they work with clear coats and other types of paint to help you achieve the look you are after.
Eco-friendly paints are also very high performing and durable once a top coat is applied. So even though the make up may be different than traditional automotive paints, the protective top coat means that the end result is still strong, smooth and beautiful.
One of the drawbacks currently is that eco-friendly paints cost more money than traditional paints. Hopefully this will level out in the near future, because the cost is usually passed on to the consumer. However, it’s not so high that it is prohibitive for everyone, and if it is something that is important to the car owner, they are usually willing to shell out a little extra to know that they are not further damaging the environment.
At the end of the day, moving toward products that don’t leave a giant footprint on the planet is going to become the norm (we hope!). And things like eco-friendly paint will be less of a debate and more the basic standard.
And the good news is that with eco-friendly car paint, you don’t have to sacrifice quality or colour. They are just as good, dare we say — if not better — than traditional car paints, all while being the better option for the planet. Sounds like a win-win to us!