Smart Automotive Blog

The Pacific Swim?

David Turney - Saturday, December 12, 2009

We love hearing about people and companies who feel the same way about environmental responsibility as we do.

Recently we learned of The Plastiki, a project designed to raise awareness of the negative impact of post-consumer plastics on the Earth's eco-systems. The central theme of the project is a boat made entirely from recycled PET drink bottles, that will sail from California to Sydney, Australia via the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a seething mass of post-consumer discarded plastic circling within one of the Pacific Ocean's largest gyres.

You can read about The Plastiki in our previous post here. Incidentally, word out of the US is that the boat is now floating, testing and preparing to set sail for a March 2010 arrival in Australia.

But if you thought sailing across the Pacific in a plastic boat was impressive, then you'll be bowled over by this.

Australian documentary filmmaker Richard Pain is preparing to swim across the Pacific Ocean from Japan to California, 9000km's give or take. Yes, he's swimming. He's going to be swimming behind a boat that'll be towing a protective capsule that'll be in the shape of a PET bottle and made entirely OF PET bottles. His route will take him through the same garbage patch that Plastiki will have visited some time earlier and he'll release the whole trip as a documentary.

His aim is to raise $1 million to donate to organisations engaged in trying to clean up the garbage patch as well as raise broader community awareness of the issue by doing something crazy and memorable. Well Richard, we think you've nailed it.

Prep time is estimated at 12-18 months and the actual swim set to take around 40 weeks. You can read one of the articles covering the recent launch of the campaign here (source: SMH)

While both Plastiki and the Pacific Swim (as it's dubbed) are bound to raise awareness about the impact of post-consumer plastic waste on the environment, our Repeat products also aim to change behaviours and attitudes towards plastic recycling in the automotive repair industry. Our scope is narrower, but our message is the same.

In the midst of the debate over climate change and reducing CO2 emissions, it's vital not to ignore the unfolding ecological catastrophe being brought on by discarded and non-recycled plastic waste, one that we can see with our very own eyes.

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All aboard The Plastiki

David Turney - Wednesday, October 28, 2009

The most amazing and confronting story has just crossed the news desk at Smart Automotive, which has special relevance to our own business. It's a story that must be spread, because it brings to the fore a problem that's serious, undeniable and reversible yet, for some reason, we have little awareness of.

The Plastiki is a 60-foot catamaran, being constructed in a warehouse overlooking San Francisco Bay, to make a journey across the Pacific and - all things to plan - sailing into Sydney Harbour some time during March 2010.

What's so special about that? The Plastiki is made entirely from PET plastic bottles, some recycled and some still in original form lining the frame and hull, for buoyancy. 12,500 bottles alone will line the frame of the boat. It's the brainchild of David de Rothschild (a descendent of the Rothschild banking family) and is designed to highlight the ecological impact of PET plastic waste and raise awareness of the need to act now to arrest the growth of plastic waste, including reusing and recycling. You should check the expedition website by clicking here.

Early into its journey, The Plastiki will set sail across what's known as the eastern pacific garbage patch, which is a mass of post-consumer rubbish in the Pacific Ocean, gathered by natural ocean currents (gyres) and an area at least twice as big as Texas (or New South Wales and Victoria, in Australia, combined). Yes, you read it right; a rubbish patch twice the size of Texas, floating in the ocean. Unimaginable enough, but most confronting is this: it's been discovered recently that the mass of plastic now exceeds that of plankton (the food source for thousands of species' of sea animals and birds) by a ratio of six to one. That's sampled at the edge of the gyre too. Therefore it's theorised that, due to the nature of the gyre, at the centre, the ratio would be much higher. Take a look at this clip and we dare you not to be affected.

At Smart Automotive, we're very excited by the expedition for two reasons.

Firstly, we share the same passion and similarities in our attitudes for making a positive impact on the environment. On our own patch, we're doing what we can by using and encouraging the use of reusable, sustainable material. Second, the expedition will complete its ocean journey in our hometown and HQ, Sydney Australia (after which the boat will be broken down and recycled again). The boat's due to depart some time during November and we'll be following its journey closely as it heads towards its goals and our home, so visit us (or their site) often to get the latest.

In your line of business, there's a practical need and desire to protect customer cars while they're in your care. It reduces your liabilities and protects your image as an automotive professional. Smart Automotive fulfils this need in an environmentally responsible way and our Repeat seat protectors break new ground by being manufactured from 100% recycled PET bottles. When you buy and use Repeat seat protectors for your workshop, business or franchise network then you're also doing your part to reduce the impact of PET plastic waste on the environment.

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A little bit of background on Repeat

David Turney - Sunday, October 18, 2009

We recently launched our new Repeat seat protector, which is made from recycled PET bottles.

Here's the story behind Repeat. It's a longer post, but a really interesting one and worth the read. To check out the Repeat seat protector, click here.

Polyethylene terephthalate - commonly abbreviated to PET - is a thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family most commonly associated with food and drink containers.

Interestingly, though, it was initially developed as a material from which cloth (polyester, dacron and terylene) was produced and most of the world’s PET production still is for synthetic fibres (more than 60 per cent: think polar fleece, carpeting, sails and space blankets as well as for various industrial uses) with bottle production accounting for around 30 per cent of global demand.

PET was patented in 1941 by British chemists John Whinfield and James Dickson of the Calico Printers' Association of Manchester and the PET bottle was patented in 1973.

While most thermoplastics can, in principle, be recycled, PET bottle recycling is more practical than many other plastic applications. The primary reason is that plastic carbonated soft drink bottles and water bottles are almost exclusively PET, which makes them more easily identifiable in a recycle stream.

Recycling PET bottles saves 84 per cent of the energy it takes to make new bottles from raw PET, however according to a spokesman for a Sydney recycling centre, less than 10 per cent of PET bottles produced are actually recycled.

Given one PET bottle equals one PET bottle, theoretically, if every bottle was recycled, there would be no need to create new PET. That being said, the reality is the discrepancy between bottles produced and bottles returned.

The other issue is one of clarity. Over time, with multiple processing, the transparency is affected: in other words, the recycled bottles aren’t as clear. That can be an issue for food and beverage presentation in particular. Also, if a manufacturer wants a coloured bottle, they need a percentage of virgin material to keep the colour true.

Although PET production is an important segment of polymer production, it should not be confused with polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP), which are both produced more throughout the world. PE is widely used, especially in the production of the plastic shopping bag while the fatigue-resistant and recyclable PP has a variety of uses including packaging, textiles, stationary, plastic parts, lab equipment and parts for automobiles.

Aside from Repeat^tm, Smart Automotive also uses non-woven polypropylene (NWPP) for its products. It is actually called non-woven polypropylene because the cross-hatched ‘pattern’ on the material is stamped on to make it look woven.

While the term ‘environmentally friendly’ implies that PET and polypropylene leaves no ecological footprint, that’s not entirely true. Obviously they are manufactured using fossil fuels and so contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. However, they contribute to waste reduction (because they’re recyclable) and the movement away from one-use products, which means the ecological impact is smaller than that of similar alternatives.

Check out our Repeat seat protector and make an enquiry today.

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Auto repair can be clean AND green

David Turney - Monday, October 12, 2009

We've been at the Great Race, the Bathurst 1000, where we launched our latest product to the media. Apart from being an iconic event on the international motor racing stage, the move by V8 Supercars to E85 Ethanol fuel (made from the molasses by-product of sugar refining) provided the perfect angle from which to launch our new Repeat seat protector, which is made from recycled PET. Both Repeat and E85 reset benchmarks, being conceived to have the most minimal impact on the environment through both their manufacture and use.

Here's an extract from the media release; at the end is a link to the product page on our website, so don't forget to check them out.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, OCTOBER 8, 2009

If you thought there was no way the automotive repair business could be eco-friendly, think again.

Like the move by V8 Supercars to a cleaner, greener fuel, Smart Automotive has moved to create a cleaner, greener product range for those working in the mechanical and smash repair industry.

Smart Automotive is launching Repeat, a fabric made from recycled PET (Polyethylene Terepthalate), for its latest range of seat protectors which technicians can use to protect their customers' car seats during service, repair and maintenance.

A Repeat seat protector will last for about six months of repeat use, depending on wear and tear, but the good news is that once its working life is over, it can be dropped into the nearest PET recycling bin ready for the next reincarnation.

Each seat protector starts out as four 600ml PET bottles (or equivalent) which are chopped, washed, ground, melted and reformulated to become 100 per cent PET flakes. Those flakes are then extruded and textured into yarn which is woven into fabric.

At this point, this process is carried out in Taiwan and the US, with manufacturing of the fabric done in China. The fabric is then bought by Smart Automotive’s partner in China, which puts it through a special sealing process to ensure the products are non-soluble and repellent before creating the seat protectors to Smart Automotive's design.

While seat protectors are currently the only Repeat products in Smart Automotive’s range, they will soon be joined by steering wheel protectors and similar coverings for the gear and handbrake lever, so technicians using the product know they are keeping their clients’ cars clean during servicing, and being environmentally responsible at the same time."

For more information, an e-brochure and to get a quote on our Repeat seat protectors, visit the product catalogue.

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Our e-brochure is now online. Download away!

David Turney - Wednesday, July 15, 2009

This just in!

Now online from Smart Automotive is our glossy, new e-brochure, ready for download by clicking the button over there to the right of you. Go on, you know you want one.

In it you'll find all of our current range of custom-branded automotive protection solutions. From our patented, reusable & recyclable Smartcover, our innovative 3-piece guard cover set and right through to our other NWPP protection products, it's all in there.

Download your own version, print it out, keep it on your desk or pin it to your wall, just keep it handy. Above all, email it to your friends & colleagues in the industry to share the good news about the solutions we offer.

Cover it, Protect it, with Smart Automotive.

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Custom-branded bundling? All part of the service.

David Turney - Friday, June 26, 2009

Here's an interesting, innovative, custom-branded solution and a great example of our capabilities to meet specific client needs.

The client who contacted us is known for its superior customer experience and service around the world. The brief called for a solution that could also cover technician call-outs to the customer while reflecting the brands luxury image.

We presented a pair of our patented Smartcovers, folded and contained in a specially designed messenger bag, both custom-branded with the client logo. The Middle East-based distributor also specified a steering wheel protector, gear & handbrake lever protector and floor mats made from NWPP to be included along with the Smartcovers, for a complete customer protectionsolution.

The result? A sophisticated, smart, custom-branded protection bundle that reflects the superior service attributes of the brand both in and out of the workshop. What customer wouldn't get a solid feeling of reassurance seeing the technician turn up with this smart bag of protection for their car?

The promotional power of this kind of solution shouldn't be underestimated either, with eye-catching branding on the bag that's also made from environmentally friendly NWPP (non-woven polypropylene).

The good news is that this kind of flexibility is available to you too. Simply contact us to discuss your specific needs and how we can achieve differentiation for your business.

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Promoting your brand while protecting your customers' cars

David Turney - Thursday, June 25, 2009

As a service professional you know how important it is to safeguard your customers’ cars when they're in and around your workshop. But have you ever thought about the possibility of promoting your business at the same time?

With Smart Automotive, now you can. While protective car seat covers used to be no more than a way of making sure the seats of each car could be kept free from grease, dirt and oil while it was being worked on, things have changed. Customer value demands have increased so your brand and reputation are how customers define their experience with you.

Just imagine if every car you're working on had brightly coloured seat protectors fitted, printed with your business name and logo, to reflect your professionalism and promote your brand. When parked awaiting pickup or getting ready to go into the workshop, they'd certainly catch the eye of anyone in and around your service business. For the new generation "workshop on show", the feeling that it gives customers when they spot the high-visibility protection you use is irreplaceable.

Our patented Smartcovers do just that. They're made from non-woven polypropylene (NWPP), which is the same material that reusable, recyclable green bags are made from. They're non-porous and very tough, meaning that they not only last longer than single-use products, there's no chance of grease or oil getting through onto and damaging your customers' upholstery.

Although these seat covers are more expensive per cover, they last much longer than the single use plastic ones that end up clogging up the landfills that are already struggling to cope. So in the long run you will actually save money as well as promote your environmental credentials.

Smart Automotive also supplies slick-looking nylon seat protectors that can be custom-branded, and our polyester seat protectors make a great promotional and merchandising aid on courtesy or fleet cars.

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