WHY SUSTAINABILITY IS BECOMING A SHOP SURVIVAL ISSUE

BASF AND I -CAR FRAME EFFICIENCY AS THE REAL ENVIRONMENTAL WIN

Sustainability in collision repair is increasingly being framed as a business and operational issue rather than a purely environmental one, according to Jeff Wildman, automotive aftermarket industry expert at BASF, and Jason Black of I-CAR, who spoke during the SEMA Show session “The Next New Thing: Sustainability in Collision Repair” on November 5, 2025.

The speakers discussed how collision centres can reduce costs, improve efficiency and prepare for tighter regulatory and OEM expectations while maintaining repair quality, recasting environmental measures as practical shop management tools.

Wildman said business viability comes before environmental initiatives. “When we start talking about sustainability, the first questions are, ‘Is your business sustainable? Will it be here in five years?’”

The goal is to support current operations while preparing for increasing vehicle complexity and stricter regulations, according to Wildman. “We’re looking at how a collision centre becomes sustainable — how they’re doing what they’re doing today while setting themselves up for the future.”

Black said the terminology around sustainability often confuses shop owners and technicians. “Some people hear terms like eco-friendly practices or optimizing your resources and think you’re being asked to do something off-the-wall.”

Most sustainability measures are just efficient shop management that improves the bottom line, he added. “If you’re saving materials, you’re saving time, saving money and improving the process.”

Material efficiency offers shops an easy starting point, according to Wildman. Lower material use cuts costs and waste while improving repair speed. He pointed to BASF’s collaboration with 3M on a process that refines workflow without requiring equipment changes. “We’re not changing the tools and materials. We’re changing the process to make you more efficient,” Wildman said.

The approach was developed by asking shops about their daily challenges. “We sat down with bodyshops and asked what it really takes to prep a vehicle for refinish. What are the issues you’re seeing at the shop level?” European shops have already adopted similar standardized workflows driven by sustainability targets, Wildman noted.

Product selection can deliver similar benefits. Wildman highlighted BASF’s Glasurit 100 Line refinish system, which the company markets for both productivity and sustainability. The system uses less material than other paint lines while reducing VOC emissions per repair.

Spray gun and coating improvements have dramatically reduced waste over the years, according to Black. Older siphon-fed guns put only about 20 percent of paint onto vehicles. “It took a gallon of paint to do what you can do with a quart now,” he said.

Energy consumption represents another major cost-saving opportunity. Paint shops account for roughly 70 percent of a body shop’s energy use, largely due to spray booths cycling through heating and cooling throughout the day, Wildman said.

Even minor product adjustments add up, according to Black. Baking clearcoat at a lower temperature for less time saves significant money.

Wildman outlined manufacturing changes BASF is making that could eventually affect shops. The company’s chemcycling process converts old tires into raw material for new coatings, addressing a disposal challenge while cutting emissions by up to 40 percent. The finished coatings perform identically to standard products.

BASF also produces biomass balance products by replacing petroleum inputs and fossil energy with renewable materials and green energy. The manufacturing change can reduce emissions by up to 65 percent without altering what arrives at shops. “There’s no difference in the can. It’s all about the manufacturing process,” Wildman said.

These approaches already help BASF meet environmental regulations as a chemical manufacturer, and similar requirements will likely extend to collision repairers. “In the future, we’re going to see the same sort of thing hit bodyshops. This is going to help lower your emissions and reach your targets.”

That pressure is building. Wildman described BASF’s eco assessment tool, which measures shop energy use, emissions, material efficiency and waste, then benchmarks facilities against peers. The tool provides specific recommendations for meeting OEM sustainability requirements.

Insurers and automakers worldwide are setting sustainability targets that include their repair networks, according to Wildman. “They’re looking at cutting scope three emissions — which means working with bodyshops.”

Scope three emissions are the indirect emissions in a company’s supply chain, including from repair facilities.

At least one automaker already mandates waterborne paint for certified repairers. “It’s a step — a small one — but it is a step,” Wildman said.

Meeting these evolving demands will require adaptable technicians, according to Wildman. “We need technicians who know how to fix today’s cars, and the ones from next year and the year after that.”

Industry training organizations have warned that technician shortages and skills gaps remain among the largest structural risks facing collision repair.

Quality data is essential for any technology investment to deliver value, Wildman noted. “All we hear about today is AI, but AI is worth zero without good data.”

California’s environmental standards will likely drive product development nationally, he added. “You’re going to see a lot of new products launch in California. Then you’ll see them adopted in other places, because they’ll also be better products.”

Both speakers emphasized that sustainability measures must deliver operational improvements or cost savings to gain traction. The practices most likely to succeed reduce expenses, speed up repairs and help shops meet incoming regulatory and OEM requirements.

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