On guard! Guardsman Products, Inc. steers pollution prevention along information superhighway.

IT WASN'T SO LONG ago that programs designed to foster pollution prevention at paint companies were seen as extra effort a company could undertake to reduce pollutants during the manufacturing process.

For the paint company of the 1990s, pollution prevention is requisite, and the majority of manufacturers have implemented some type of modus operandi for shaving pollution in its many forms. And in doing so, those companies are discovering that the rewards for their efforts are wide ranging, from the maximization of bottom-line profitability to the avoidance of unintentional future liability.

For Guardsman Products, Inc., based in Grand Rapids, Mich., "On Guard!" is proving itself as an effective means not only of achieving those rewards but of instilling a deeper awareness of pollution prevention at every personnel level. Other companies are showing interest in and taking advantage of the program as well.

A few years ago, several Guardsman colleagues set their sights on developing a product designed specifically for paint and coatings producers that could help achieve a range of pollution-prevention goals. The result of their efforts is one of the first attempts to use the personal computer as an interactive tool to minimize waste and, in effect, prevent pollution.

Guardsman, a major producer of industrial coatings, developed the program in cooperation with the Waste Reduction and Management Program of …