See, Touch and Smell the GreenEarth Difference
GreenEarth Receives Environmental Awards
The United Nations Association of Australia
awards GreenEarth for its environmental initiatives.
GPT, owner of Norton Plaza awards
Waverley Council awards
GreenEarth in the News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The most commonly used drycleaning solvent in Australia is perchloroethelyne (known as perc). Perc is a carbon based product and is classified as a hazardous chemical. It is known to contaminate soil and water when used or disposed of in an improper manner. Another alternative, hydrocarbon, is also recognized as an air and soil pollutant. Increasing regulatory pressure, concern for soil and water contamination, and other business issues have led many in the industry to search for an alternative to carbon-based cleaning solvents.
GreenEarth was introduced to Australia in 2006. It is a patented liquid silicone-based process with the same ingredient as in commonly available sun block and hand lotions, antiperspirants and many cosmetics. The solution is odourless, it is gentle on clothes, safe for people and the planet.
Where to find a GreenEarth Drycleaner? There are GreenEarth drycleaners in every state. Click here to find your closest drycleaner and learn more about GreenEarth drycleaning.
See What Consumers Are Saying Throughout the World
Forget pink, it's being green that she likes
Connecting to Women GreenEarth was designed, from the start, to offer a green alternative
Dry cleaning you can feel good about
Greenrenewing.com Video explaining Why GreenEarth is better for the earth, your clothes and you.
Survey proves professional cleaning is sustainable
From European Study "Professional garment cleaning using D5 [GreenEarth] found to be twice as environmentally friendly as domestic cleaning."
Does drycleaning fade your clothes?
From the Vogue Fashion Forum "Miss Shopaholic: Try using a GreenEarth drycleaner - they don't use harsh chemicals or extreme heat, and are much better for your clothes. I get all of my very delicate silk and beaded clothes drycleaned at a GreenEarth drycleaner and have never had a problem."
Does GreenEarth Dry Cleaning Get a Green Plus?
From biofriendly.com/blog "My recommendation...GreenEarth Cleaning definitely gets a green plus in my book."
Is GreenEarth Dry Cleaning Safe?
Answer provided by Debra Lynn Dadd, hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times. "It is so safe it is not even regulated."
Is GreenEarth organic?
Experts123.com"No. And that is actually good. There is nothing green about organic dry cleaning methods."
Dry cleaning you can feel good about
Forestry On The Grow with Greenearth-Cleaning
Caring for Silk Fabric (Silk Care: Green Organic Dry Cleaning)
Caring for silk fabrics "We recommend that our customers look into green dry cleaners or organic dry cleaning services that use safer and non-toxic methods such as . . . silicone based solvents"
"Silicone based solvents (used by organic and green dry cleaning establishments) were not only safer but also much more effective dry cleaning agents compared to the conventional toxic solvents "
The 'Eco-Safe' Dry Cleaners: Fact or Fiction?
The Organic Soul "The good news is that many dry cleaners DO offer an environmental-friendly service. There are a number of alternative methods for dry cleaning. Many 'green' cleaners use silicone based cleaners and some also provide a wet option, which basically involves detergent and water but in way we can't do at home. "
"Now the bad news. The truth is that just because something labels itself as 'green' doesn't make it so. One great example is the solvent DF-2000 being portrayed as an 'organic' dry cleaning fluid. In reality, it is a petroleum product that underwent energy intensive production. Where did they get organic from? Well, the solvent contains a chain of carbon molecules, chemically classifying it as organic; the solvent is really just as 'organic' as gasoline or perc."
Wedding Dress Cleaning
Silk Pillowcase Shop with the facts on wedding dress cleaning "The first step in the proper care of your wedding gown is to have it cleaned. But who do you trust with your treasured gown?. . . "
Silicone (Greenearth) Silicone solvent is not as aggressive as Perchloroethylene. But like Hydrocarbon, it is safe for beads and sequins. It is also the most environmentally friendly of all available solvents besides water. "
Find a Progressive Cleaner
http://www.mnn.com/communityblogs/sudsiesdrycleaning/how-to-make-use-of-eco-friendly-dry-cleaning-system-0 "Seek out a professional who offers non-perc dry cleaning. There are three popular alternatives right now: high-pressure cleaning using liquid carbon dioxide; silicone-based cleaners (known as GreenEarth cleaning); and high-tech, computer-controlled wet washing. Of the three, Consumer Reports found that liquid CO2 performed even better than old-style perc. GreenEarth was close behind. CR's testers were not impressed by the wet washing results. GreenEarth offers a convenient directory for locating an affiliated dry cleaner in your city."
Good Stuff? - Dry Cleaning
It May Market Organic Alternatives, but Is Your Cleaner Really Greener?
The New York Times "Judith S. Schreiber, the chief scientist for the Environmental Protection Bureau of the New York State attorney general’s office, said the solvent, which is petroleum-based, was “a cleaned-up version of gasoline” and only slightly less toxic than perc."
Greener Dry Cleaning:GreenEarth and CO2
by Robin Shreeves Ecovian greener-dry-cleaning "Traditional dry cleaning methods may get clothing clean, but they can wreak havoc on the environment and even possibly people’s health. There are earth friendly dry cleaning alternatives, and more and more cleaning services are popping up that offer these methods. . .
One alternative is GreenEarth, a silicone-based cleaner. It’s environmentally superior to perc cleaning because the liquid silicone used in GreenEarth is non-toxic. When it breaks down it becomes sand, small amounts of water, and carbon dioxide. None of these elements are inherently harmful to the air, the ground, the water, or the people who come in contact with them.
GreenEarth is also gentler on clothing than the traditional dry cleaning method. Clothing does not fade or wear out as quickly when regularly cleaned with the GreenEarth method as it does with perc. GreenEarth is also odorless so clothes don’t end up with that ;dry cleaning' smell."
Bridal Shops Recommend GreenEarth . . .
1 stop bridal shop "Silicone solvent is not as aggressive as Perchloroethylene. But like Hydrocarbon, it is safe for beads and sequins. It is also the most environmentally friendly of all available solvents besides water."
Cutting down on chemicals/toxins
http://biofriendly.com/blog/tag/greenearth/ "For an individual or family, this can be as simple as getting rid of your toxic cleaning supplies and buying eco-friendly cleaners. Or better yet, making your own cleaning supplies. Cutting down on our use of chemicals and toxins is a simple way to go green. However, for some businesses, it may not be so simple.
Take for example a dry cleaner. Cost is a real concern for an independent dry cleaner who is looking to turn over a green leaf. Many dry cleaners still use perc machines to dry clean clothes (although I’m not sure why considering the EPA classifies perc as a Toxic Air Contaminant). If they need to purchase a brand new machine, it could cost them upwards of $175,000.
However there are a few options…if a dry cleaner is currently using a hydrocarbon machine, they could potentially convert their machine over to a greener cleaning method, such as GreenEarth® Cleaning, without having to purchase a new machine."
Green Living Guide
Green living on line"With such strong stain-fighting power, have you ever wondered just how safe those chemicals are? Pretty hazardous actually, but there are alternatives. . .
A few less toxic options are available to consumers. One of the most widely used alternatives is GreenEarth, which uses a silicone-based solvent that carries detergent to the clothes and rinses away trapped dirt and oil. No chemicals are brought to the clothing. Colours stay vibrant and the fabric remains soft with little wrinkling."
"Green" dry-cleaning
Consumer.org.nz "A handful of dry-cleaners use hydrocarbon or liquid silicone instead of perc. Although less toxic, hydrocarbon-solvents are still petroleum-based and aren't "environmentally friendly".
Liquid silicone dry-cleaning is gentle on clothes and degrades to sand, and traces of water and carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, the manufacturing of silicone solvents is anything but green."
GreenEarth:We are proud of the improvements that have occured in the manufacturing of liquid silicone. The liquid silicone used in Australia and New Zealand is produced by Simcoa, an Australian-based manufacturing company.
To minimise on the impact of the plant on the environment, stringent guidelines are adhered to by Simcoa with particularly tight control over atmospheric and noise emissions.
There are no effluent to the streams and no visible or toxic emissions from the plant.
Although Simcoa has a very comprehensive environmental management system (EMS), they are now looking to upgrade it further in order to be the first silicon smelter to have an ISO accredited EMS.
We hope that this information and a review of the Simcoa process, available on their web site at: http://www.simcoa.com.au/process.htm will help you support GreenEarth Cleaning as the best available technology for the replacement of the hazardous perc used by most cleaners in Australia and New Zealand.
Is There a Green Alternative . . .
Good.net.nz "Drycleaning is a dirty business. Most drycleaners use a liquid solvent called perchloroethylene, or ‘perc’, to lift dirt and odours from garments. Perc is a highly toxic central nervous system depressant that must be disposed of as hazardous waste. There shouldn’t be any traces remaining in your clothes, but if your poor drycleaner inhales too deeply it can cause confusion, nausea, difficulty speaking and walking, unconsciousness and, in big doses, death.
A few New Zealand drycleaners use hydrocarbon solvents or liquid silicon instead of perc. Regal Drycleaners and Blue-N-Green Drycleaners in Auckland, and Mall Drycleaners in Wellington use hydrocarbon solvents. Central Drycleaning in Queenstown and Preens Drycleaners in Dunedin use a silicon process.
These alternatives are less toxic than perc, but they’re not perfect solutions. Hydrocarbon solvents are still volatile organic compounds that irritate skin and eyes. Liquid silicon is biodegradable, gentle on clothes and completely non-toxic for drycleaners, but the silicon extraction process leads to lung disease in miners."
GreenEarth: The GreenEarth cleaning process uses Quartz (silicon dioxide) which is mined and smelted to produce silicon which in turn is used for the production of silicones.
It is true that mining of quartz potentially gives rise to crystalline quartz dust which in case of human exposure may lead to silicosis – a form of lung disease. There is a similar risk when you go to the beach as wind blown dust there is also crystalline quartz.
In all western countries mining regulations are extremely strict with respect to all types of dust generated in mining operations. In the first instance dust is contained or suppressed; operating plant, mobile equipment and trucks have sealed air conditioned cabs and if the operator leaves the cab he will wear respiratory protection if necessary.
In Australia, where quartz is mined for GreenEarth which in tern is used in New Zealand, the plant regularly monitors dust exposure of employees with all results being submitted to the mines department and employees undergo regular health checks – this is not just for quartz mining but all mining in Western Australia.
In many cases the quartz used for silicon production is river pebbles involving no crushing or dust.
In summary dust is only a hazard if it is not managed.