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Honda continues its initiative to reduce harmful emissions
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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Honda's first and largest plant is located in North America, in the state of Ohio.
It was here, far from the suburban offices and farmland, that the company decided to implement a large-scale initiative aimed at reducing harmful emissions into the atmosphere during the manufacture of vehicles.
The car plant will be equipped with the latest painting equipment (worth more than $200 million), and at this stage only some Acura models will be painted using the new technology.
Changing the paint technology will help reduce harmful emissions by 18%, and through the implementation of this project, Honda is taking a step closer to its global goal of reducing harmful emissions by up to 90% per unit sold.
The Ohio auto plant produces more than 400,000 cars (Honda and Acura) annually, and has produced more than 10 million cars in its 33 years of operation.
The company's management has already introduced some green technologies into production to reduce the emission of toxic compounds during the production of vehicles.
The new painting equipment will reduce energy and resource costs, while the final quality will be an order of magnitude higher. The construction of the facility is scheduled for 2 months, its area will be 28 thousand m 2.
For Honda, developing new ways to reduce emissions is not just an idea, but a responsibility. Environmental goals come from the headquarters in Japan, where leaders from all over the world meet to discuss new initiatives that all of its auto plants must strive for.
How exactly one can achieve a particular goal is suggested by the company employees who perform the work, and this was also the case in the case of developing energy-efficient and environmentally friendly methods of painting cars.
The new process is not just a marketing ploy for an existing technology, although some of the painting process will remain the same, the company says. The new process replaces water with lime dust, saving resources and disposal costs.
The shop is scheduled to open in December 2017 and specialists intend to paint some Acura models using the new technology. It is assumed that the new process will not only improve the appearance of the car, but also reduce harmful emissions, since the paint will emit fewer toxic substances into the air (due to the use of a water-based primer).
The traditional painting process involves using water to capture and settle paint splashes, resulting in over 250 tons of paint being wasted, which in turn requires additional costs for transportation and disposal.
The new process involves a dry painting method - limestone dust will be used instead of water, which will help collect paint particles flying into the air and save more than 7 million liters of water every year.
While Ohio has no water supply issues, the company values the opportunity to conserve resources, especially on this scale, as well as the ability to reduce the carbon footprint of vehicle manufacturing.