BMW is employing a wide range of measures in order to reduce the carbon footprint of their manufacturing operations. In 2022 the manufacturer began using a new biomass-based paint on a selection of new vehicles. In this case human waste is used to help make the paint.
The process to turn waste into paint was developed by BASF. This reduces the carbon footprint of the process by eliminating oil-based precursors that have traditionally been used in the paint manufacturing process. The resulting renewable substance replaces naphtha and methane which are normally used to produce automotive paints.
Which models is the new paint being used on?
BMW’s new environmentally-friendly paint is being used in their Germany and South Africa plants and it is being used on all matte finish vehicles that are made in those plants.
The Leipzig factory produces the following models which should all have this paint: BMW 1 Series, the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, Gran Coupé, Coupé and Convertible, the BMW M2, and the electric BMW i3. Any of those models that have a matte paint finish will be using the biomass paint now.
The Rosslyn, South Africa plant produces the BMW X3 and while 90% of those vehicles are bound for overseas markets, none will likely make it here to the USA. BMW X3 vehicles sold in the USA are made at the Spartanberg, South Carolina plant.
How to Repair Scratches on BMWs Biomass Paint?
BASF and BMW state that the new biomass-based paint has the same chemical properties as the paint that was previously used. Does this mean that our scratch repair product will work the same? Yup! And the process that you will go through to select your kit and repair your paint is virtually the same.
First you just need to assess the depth of the scratch and determine which of our scratch repair kits is right for you. For light surface scratches you just need the original blue scratch repair kit. For deeper scratches you will want to buy the combo kit that includes the red touch-up paint kit with it as well as the original scratch remover kit.
BASF’s Biomass Balance Approach
The goal of this approach is to provide manufacturers with a product that has identical quality to existing products, a more sustainable manufacturing footprint, and a lower price point. The alignment and fulfillment of these 3 goals was the key to successful implementation. BASF began developing their biomass-based product years ago and you can see an overview of the biomass balance approach in their video below.Why the switch?
According to Joachim Post for the BMW Group's Board of Management: "By reducing our use of fossil raw materials, we can conserve natural resources and lower CO2 emissions at the same time. To achieve this, we are increasingly relying on sustainability innovations in our supplier network.”
The result of the process is a reduction in fossil fuel consumption due to the replacement, and also the reduced CO2 emissions associated with the production and preparation use of the old substances.
The manufacturer claims that the new manufacturing process reduces the emissions from paint production by more than 40%.
At the same time as this announcement, BMW also announced that they had also begun using a sustainably produced corrosion protection product at the plants in Leipzig and Rosslyn.
Start Repairing Your Scratches
Need to get started? Visit this page first to become familiar with the scratch repair process and learn how to assess the scratches on your own car. After that, you can choose a scratch repair kit and get started.