Barry's Auto Body releases list of high performing, eco-friendly products used in daily operations to encourage other collision shops to "go green"

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y., Oct. 25, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Inspired by the testimony of Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teen who testified before the United Nations Climate Action Summit last month, Barry's Auto Body, Staten Island's only environmentally friendly automotive collision repair shop is releasing the list of "green" automotive products it uses in daily operations. Barry's Auto Body wants to encourage other auto body shops to adopt eco-friendly practices to reduce the negative impact the collision repair industry has on the environment.

Environmental Protection Agencies regulate the automotive repair industry because most use paints and solvents that contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). According to these agencies, VOCs contribute to photochemical smog and HAPs may be harmful to human health because many are suspected to cause cancer. Barry's Auto Body began voluntarily using eco-friendly products years ago in order to reduce the shops negative impact on the environment.

Said Barry Crupi, owner of Barry's Auto Body, "The auto collision repair industry has changed drastically over the past 30 years. Historically, the only products available to us were those containing harmful chemicals, but that has changed. Today there are a wide variety of low or no VOC products on the market that actually outperform traditional chemical based products. Barry's Auto Body voluntarily began using these products because we wanted to do everything in our power to preserve our environment for future generations. I am releasing this list of eco-friendly products with the hope that other automotive repair facilities will adopt a "green" philosophy to reduce the negative impact our industry has on the planet."

Crupi wants to dispel the industry wide belief that sustainable automotive repair products aren't as durable as chemical based products.

"Most people don't like change," continued Crupi, "so they look for excuses to stick with products they know. In the auto collision repair industry, sticking with products they know means sticking with traditional chemical based products which can be harmful to workers and the environment. That's why the industry must be regulated. In order to truly reduce its negative impact on the environment, the automotive industry must voluntarily begin utilizing the eco-friendly products available today. While there is a bit of a learning curve when it comes to the application of low and no VOC products, the results are as good as, or superior to, chemical based products and most take less time to apply and cure.

"For example - years ago, when we used oil based applications for detailing, the finished product looked good when the product dried, but in a couple of weeks, after a few washes and exposure to the sun, the swirl marks in the paint which were evened out by the oil base of the product became visible after the oil washed away. When we changed over to water based products we didn't have those problems. The shine lasts longer because there isn't any oil to wash away. Once the product dries - what you see is what you get.

"It is our responsibility as automotive experts to do what we can to change the industry for the better," says Crupi. "The first step towards that goal is to share information about which eco-friendly products and systems work best so that other collision repair shops will feel confident enough to voluntarily adopt a "green" philosophy. Using environmentally friendly automotive repair products is good for customers, workers, the community and the planet."

SOURCE Barry's Auto Body