Why it pays to be “CARB smart”... no matter where your products are sold

Everyone is talking about "CARBS" today. The auto care industry is no exception. CARB (the California Air Resources Board) has established a Consumer Products Program that regulates volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in auto care products sold in the State of California. These regulations apply to both home and institutional consumers.

California authorities are so serious about enforcing the program that they routinely buy locally available products, test them and fine manufacturers who are in violation. The regulations target several categories of auto care products. VOC limits vary not only by product type but also by package form (e.g., aerosol vs. non-aerosol). Are your products suitable for use in California today? What about tomorrow? Find out now.

Download our CARB Regulations Tip Sheet.

CARB is not just for California anymore:
Plan for the future and differentiate your product line now.

Other states in the U.S. are also implementing CARB guidelines – New Jersey, for example. This puts added pressure on an already competitive marketplace. It also makes it increasingly impractical, from both a product line and distribution management standpoint, to maintain multiple versions of the same product. That is why many manufacturers are turning toward single, low-VOC versions that they can market everywhere.

For information about money-, time- and trouble-saving solutions, request a copy of our comprehensive CARB Compliance Folder.


Tire and vinyl dressings:
What do you have to sacrifice for the sake of VOC?

Formulating low-VOC tire and vinyl dressings that meet consumer requirements for high performance or low price can be challenging. There are trade-offs to be made. But there are also competitively advantageous ways to make them.

• Compare the drying time of various solvent alternatives.

• For performance-driven consumers, replace regulated solvents with volatile siloxanes. (Dow Corning® brand volatile siloxanes are not considered volatile organic compounds by CARB.)

• For more budget-minded consumers, create a water-based alternative.

Get the details. Compare the performance.

Helpful analytical services

Dow Corning’s Analytical Services department can help you determine whether your formulation meets CARB guidelines for volatile content. Learn more about this service.