The Toxic Monster on Main Street: Dry Cleaning
For many consumers and small business owners, green is an aspiration – a way of life. We rarely find ourselves swimming in the scientific details. So today, here’s a close look at dry cleaning, the toxic “Monster on Main Street” that feeds on the uninformed consumer and business owner alike!
According to the U.S. EPA, almost 40 percent of dry cleaners don’t have the resources needed to comply with regulations. With some green upgrades carrying heavy price tags for small businesses, many small dry cleaners choose to forego going green altogether or opt for “natural” options that are not so “green” in reality.
The result has been a number of storefronts making the “green” dry cleaning claim without the security you would like. Consumer uncertainty, fear and product confusion keep small businesses providing the high-toxic options.
The Federal government has caught onto the issue, and by 2020 all “co-inhabiting” dry cleaners (those located in apartment buildings, schools, etc) will need to transition from using perchloroethylene (perc for short). http://www.epa.gov/region2/capp/dryclean.htm Some states (i.e. CA, NJ & MA) are already providing incentives for dry cleaners to go “green”. What’s so bad about perc? The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found that clothes dry cleaned with perc can elevate levels of the toxin throughout a home and especially in the room where the garments are stored. Nursing mothers exposed to perc may excrete it in their milk, placing their infants at risk.
If governments, both local and national, are legislating around and promoting greener professional cleaning and if consumers are demanding real green options – why are 85% of dry cleaners still using perc? http://departments.oxy.edu/uepi/ppc/index.htm Could it be that many of the dry cleaners are mom and pop companies just trying to weather the recession?
ACCION USA, through it’s Green Loan Program www.accionusa.org/green has started speaking with industry leaders such as Peter Sinsheimer, director of the Pollution Prevention Center at Occidental College and Joy Onasch at the Toxic Use Reduction Institute at the University of Massachusetts to see how microlending can play a role – financing the gap between government incentives and a business owner’s pocket.
Is your dry cleaner really green? Do you have dry cleaners claiming to be “green” on your block? Do your part – get informed and fight the toxic monster on main street one piece of clothing at a time.
August 17th, 2010 at 4:22 pm
Wow! Thanks Jen. This was super informative… It’s impressive to see what ACCION USA is doing in the “green” sphere for small business owners but for general public awareness as well.
Thanks!
August 19th, 2010 at 8:23 am
A wonderful website – many thanks for taking the time to write and develop it!!
August 30th, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Thanks to you both. Going green isn’t easy … entire industries are learning as they go. Dry cleaning happens to have lots of support right now to make the plunge. Let us know if any dry cleaners near you are promoting “green” cleaning!
September 12th, 2010 at 3:50 am
Was actually was doing a search and suprised by the info you wrote. Read exactly what I needed also. Thanks!
September 15th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Thanks Robbie for your comment. We’d be interested to hear more about the research you’re doing. ACCION USA is partnering with the Toxic Use Reduction Institute on an event for professional cleaners on October 21st in Boston MA.