Unless you’ve been living under a rock or in a cabin out in the woods (and that would certainly be ironic), you’ve heard a lot lately about “going green.”
It seems the tide has turned permanently toward a greater protection and stewardship of the environment, and Americans of all stripes are making more of a concerted effort to reduce their “carbon footprint” – or at least thinking about doing so.
Green automobiles. Green energy. Green business. Green politics. It seems everywhere you turn, green is the dominant color.
Things are no different in the professional dry cleaning industry. An emerging “green movement” is challenging some long-standing practices, such as the process of “wet cleaning” with regular water, which is a less toxic alternative to what is now in use. So please make sure to find a dry cleaner that is educated in and uses this eco-friendly method.
Other ways a dry cleaner can “go green” include instituting systemic recycling programs, conserving more energy and water, investing in technology or services that exceed regulatory requirements and educating and training staff in environmental regulations and matters.
There’s even a Green Cleaners Council hard at work to promote and reward “green marketing” and expose “greenwashing”. The council represents a wide cross-section of the industry, including customers, attorneys, engineers and waste management experts. The council has established a set of benchmarks to judge dry cleaners on their environmental sustainability, and also provides them with a forum to champion their successes and discuss strategies for further growth. The scores achieved on the “blind review” also help customers determine just how green their cleaner is.
Thanks to ongoing innovations like a plastic hanger recycling program and an EPA Design for the Environment program-endorsed wetcleaning process along with many invaluable suggestions from caring customers – Sudsies.com performed very well on the review, earning four out of five leaves.
So do the right thing and go Green today. See how your favorite dry cleaner rates on the Green Scale by visiting the Green Cleaners Council online at www.greencleanerscouncil.org.
