Cal-West Specialty Coatings, Inc.

One of the biggest sources of solid waste in a collision repair facility is the plastic film used to protect vehicles and booth surfaces from paint overspray. This plastic invariably ends up in landfills, where it lingers for a few thousand years. A typical vehicle requires 125 to 150 square feet of plastic to mask against overspray. This means a single body shop repairing 300 cars per month is disposing as much as 45,000 square of plastic in that same timeframe, or over half a million square feet annually.

Less than a quart of Cal-West's liquid mask more effectively protects a vehicle against overspray. After the water has evaporated from the coating, less than 3 oz. of dry film remains on the vehicle. This dry film, similar in chemistry to single-use laundry detergent bags, dissolves in water and biodegrades in municipal water-treatment facilities.

Cal-West's newest peelable coatings utilize a resin system manufactured from post-consumer recycled materials that increases film strength, durability and longevity. The resulting dry film consists of over 80% recycled materials once the coating has cured. In addition to providing a far superior coating, recycling plastic film reduces waste disposed to landfills and the demand for the petroleum-based feedstocks that produce virgin resins.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in coatings, solvents and other consumer and industrial products, contribute to ozone-formation and, as a result, smog. All Cal-West products comply with California's air pollution regulations, the strictest in the nation and which serve as a benchmark for other states and countries.

In many cases, Cal-West has replaced 100% VOC-products with super-low VOC alternatives, i.e., those with less than 25 grams per liter. All Cal-West coatings are water-based as are most of its other offerings. Those that aren't are packaged in convenient aerosol containers to control emissions to the atmosphere.