In each case, the NJIT team made several site visits to the facility. Initially, visits were made to explain the EPA manual and to encourage the facility through the organizational stages. The facility is a manufacturer of specialty artistic paints for application on designer wear clothing, tops, scarfs, and home decor items such as wall paintings, quilts, and pillows. The paints, which come in a variety of colors, are packaged in either aluminum or polyethylene tubes. Generally the products are marketed as a kit including the homecraft article, the necessary paints, and other accessories.
Some items are silk-screened and specialty items are hand embroidered.
For the solvent- based paints, the required raw materials are mixed with a combination of solvents such as mineral spirits and light aromatic naphthas to achieve the desired color specification. The water-based or latex paints similarly require that pigments and other raw materials be mixed with water to the required color specification. All of the components of the pants are purchased from outside suppliers. Moreover, both types of paints must have the ap- propriate consistency and viscosity to allow tube filling and customer use. The customer desired performance characteristics for this particular use include fast drying time, co or fastness, and product durability.