|
Dry Cleaning
Cleaning
clothes shouldn't dirty the environment.
There are an estimated 2,500
drycleaning facilities in Ontario. It's one of the most popular small businesses going.
The most common form of dry
cleaning uses a chemical called perchloroethylene (or "perc").
Ninety percent of the industry uses perc, and drycleaning accounts for between
one-third and one-half of all the perc used in
Canada. Perc has been designated under the
Canadian Environmental Protection Act as a persistent,
bio-accumulative chemical that is toxic to the
environment.
So what are the alternatives?
-
Buy
clothes that don't need drycleaning;
-
Look for
a drycleaner that doesn't use perc; or
-
Look for
drycleaners that use the best management practices
and most efficient ("third generation") machines.
takeaction
Look for
Perc
Alternatives
a) Wetcleaning
(or Green Clean)
In the mid 1990's, Canadian governments,
environmental groups, and the drycleaning industry came
together to develop a pilot project for an
environmentally-friendly alternative to perc: green
cleaning. Green cleaning is a water-based process,
which sounds heretical for the drycleaning industry, but
it has been shown to be a viable alternative.
Details on wet cleaning
can be found in The
Ontario Green Cleaners Manual.
For information on wet
clean machines, visit www.wetclean.com.
b) Silicone Based
Cleaning (Green Earth)
A new entry into perc-free drycleaning is a company
called GreenEarth
Cleaning. They've developed a silicon based alternative to
perc that is exempt from the major U.S. regulations
governing hazardous waste disposal: the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
(CERCLA), commonly known as Superfund, and
the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
(RCRA).
GreenEarth is new to
Canada, so there are currently only a few sites in
operation. Check with the GreenEarth
Cleaning list of cleaners for new sites in Ontario.
c) CO2 Based Cleaning
(Cool Clean Technologies)
Cool Clean
Technologies features a liquid CO2 process.
Their cleaning machines use pressurized liquid CO2 as a
cleaning solvent, providing an effective,
environmentally safe cleaning process. The CO2 machine
operates much like a traditional front- loading dry
cleaning machine, with a range of wash and extract
cycles, but without heat to set stains and wrinkles. The
solvent is natural, odor free and 98% of the CO2 is
recovered at the end of the 35-40 minute cycle and
reused. The equipment is now being used by Hangers
Cleaners in Wisconsin and elsewhere.
3. Professional
Associations
There are several
associations of drycleaners in Ontario, including the Ontario
Fabricare Association (OFA) and the Korean
Drycleaners Association (KDA). The OFA makes representation to both the Federal and Provincial Governments on behalf of all Dry Cleaners in Ontario, in matters such as environmental regulations, operating policies, and other industry related issues.
The OFA website includes
information on environmental regulations and advice to consumers
on how to choose a drycleaner that:
- Uses minimum 3rd generation dry cleaning equipment.
- Achieves minimum indoor air quality
standard (i.e.. the plant does not smell of
solvent).
According to the OFA
website, Environmental rules and regulations are a prime concern to every professional Dry Cleaner. The safe handling of solvents, filters and sludge by the owner/manager will insure the safety of all employees. The removal of waste by a licensed carrier to an authorized facility accompanied by the correct documentation is mandatory.
Using a third generation or newer Dry Cleaning machine, and maintenance of other equipment, will insure the required air quality standards are met with no smell of solvent in the plant.
No information is
provided on alternatives to perc.
|
