See, Touch and Smell the GreenEarth Difference
Unlike other “green” methods, GreenEarth is not more expensive for dry cleaners to clean with. With GreenEarth, everybody wins.
Sites contaminated by toxic dry cleaning solvents can costs millions to clean up. That’s why dry cleaners have a hard time getting approval to lease or build new plants in prime locations. With GreenEarth, it’s different. Landlord and developer concerns at locations where petrochemical dry cleaning is prohibited aren’t a concern with us.
For dry cleaners, there are many factors to consider before investing in a “green” system. Like how well it actually cleans. Or what regulators will do five years from now. How much the equipment will cost. Or if it will cost more to operate. A mistake can put you out of business. Fortunately, in each and every aspect, GreenEarth is a truly sustainable solution.
Water is the most eco-friendly solvent there is, but whether it’s wise for dry cleaners to rely entirely on wet cleaning methods isn’t quite as clear.
Not all fabrics do well in water; it swells the fibers and can cause shrinkage, especially with wools. The extra labour required to block and finish garments is expensive. And there is a real opportunity cost when garments must be turned away or sent out the back door to be dry cleaned somewhere else (likely with petrochemicals).
Some worry that the world’s water shortage makes water a less sustainable solution. Others worry because professional wet cleaning machines drain directly into the city’s water system and non-without safeguards to ensure that the additives and soil rinsed off the clothes are non-toxic and non-polluting.
The great thing about CO2 dry cleaning is that it cleans effectively and uses reclaimed CO2. But CO2 machines release CO2 back into the air with every load (anywhere from two to ten pounds per load, depending upon how long the drying cycle is) and it takes energy to collect and transport CO2. Choosing GreenEarth has a greater net benefit to the environment. For dry cleaners the biggest problems are limitations and cost. CO2 systems rely on extremely high pressure that can damage some buttons and fabrics. And the equipment can cost two or three times as much as a conventional dry cleaning machine. For small independent cleaners, CO2 is not a realistic option.