Trew Auto Body in Bremerton was certified by the EnviroStars program for their efforts to reduce hazardous waste.

Auto body shops typically generate hazardous dirty solvents and paint wastes as a normal part of their operations. Tim Kraft, general manager at Trew Auto Body, has led his staff to significantly reduce the amount of hazardous waste generated by their operations. Under Kraft’s leadership Trew began distilling waste solvent rather than sending it off-site for hazardous waste disposal. The process makes dirty solvent useable, reducing the amount of hazardous waste as well as the amount of new solvent that needs to be purchased. The company also limits the amount of waste paint by using a computerized system to ensure the exact amount of paint is mixed for each job.

“All of us fish and we want our kids to be able to catch fish in the future,” Kraft said, when asked why he took these steps.