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Photo Credits: Green Apple Cleaners
As a child of the Better-Living-Through-Chemistry generation, I get a secret thrill at the scent of gasoline, chlorine, and dry cleaning solvent. These swoony aromas, I’ve since learned, share a common noxious bond: they're all volatile organic compounds which, by nature, give off fumes at room temperature and higher.
Dry cleaning solvents belong to a subset of these odiferous compounds called perchloroethylene, or “perc”. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified perc as a Group 2A carcinogen, which means that it likely causes cancer in humans. And, despite pressure from government agencies, perc is still the cleaning solvent used by most of the nation’s 34,000 commercial dry cleaners.
Green Apple Cleaners is an exception. One of a small but growing number of sustainability-minded dry cleaners, the 3 year old New Jersey-based company was the brainchild of then father-to-be David Kistner, who read about the dangers of perc in a parenting book. Because he and his wife frequently used dry cleaning, he hunted for safe alternatives and — eureka, found carbon dioxide-based technologies. Kistner partnered up with Chris Skelley, who was also a father of young children, and Green Apple Cleaners was born (along with David’s two sons, Michael and Ethan). Today, Green Apple Cleaners sevices over 9,000 customers with free pick-up and delivery service throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn via their fuel-efficient vehicles, as well as five storefronts – including my very own Brooklyn neighborhood.
How it Works
How often have you reached for the club soda after dropping a French fry on your favorite shirt? The scrubbing bubbles of CO2 have long been lauded as a home “remedy” for stain removal. Green Apple Cleaners advances this concept by light years with a new technology called Solvair Cleaning System -- a state-of-the-art CO2, Wet Cleaning and European Finishing equipment.
In this closed-loop system, a biodegradable cleaning formula first dissolves dirt and stains. This formula is attracted to the CO2, which goes from a gas to a liquid under extrene pressure. The CO2 extracts the cleaning formula and dirt from the clothes. As the pressure is reduced, the liquid CO2 evaporates, and the clothes dry.
The cleaning results of CO2 systems, according to Consumer Reports, are superior to perc-based methods, and to other non-perc alternatives. The clothes tested – a silk blouse, a wool jacket, a synthetic pleated skirt – did not shrink, stretch, or change color.
A Green Apple in the Eye of the Governement
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Under scrutiny by government and environmental watchdogs, the dry cleaning industry will soon need to clean up its act. New York State has filed lawsuits against at least three companies for groundwater and soil contamination that identifies perc as the primary culprit. California plans to outlaw the use of perc by 2020 and New Jersey has proposed similar legislation. For many years, CO2-based technology has earned the highest marks from the US Environmental Agency, Greenpeace, ConsumerReports.org, and NYC.gov.
However, according to Kirtner, “Solvair goes beyond just the use of alternative solvents and CO2 technology and minimizes its environmental footprint from the ground up.” The CO2 used by Green Apple has been captured from other emission sources (eg, beer fermentation), thus recycling green house gasses that would otherwise have been released into the environment. The eco-safe cleaning solvent that is removed by the CO2 is continually recovered, recycled and reused within the machine for maximum efficiency. The CO2 itself evaporates for continued use within the closed loop system. As a result, the Solvair system is approved technology for drycleaning use in California, a state of stiff restrictions.
And, there's an added bonus: since using the Solvair Cleaning System, Green Apple’s energy bills have been cut in half. According to Green Apple, the gentle Solvair System also helps extend the life of clothes, an added environmental benefit.
Cleaning with Care
"We set out to offer our customers premium care and cleaning of garments and other items they entrust to us,” says Klinert. “We chose Solvair machinery not just because it gets clothes cleaner, but because it is the only process to integrate environmental stewardship into its design."
The special care they give to clothes has been recognized by Green Apple Cleaners' acceptance into the elite group of prestigious cleaners - "America's Best Cleaners(TM)". Their care for the planet has placed them among New York's top green businesses, and they are one of the founding members of the Sustainable Business Network of New York.
Green Apple’s commitment to the environment is evident throughout the store. Clothing can be delivered in reusable garment bags, reducing plastic bag waste. The “plastic” on the garments derives from a biodegradable corn-based product. Hanger tops and business cards: 100% recycled paper.
And the smell … while my olfactory DNA still “percs” up at the slightest whiff of dry cleaning solvent, the bouquet of a garment cleaned by Green Apple – an almost undetectable aroma that floats between sweet straw and lemon – has its own subtle charms. Move over Clorox?
Interested in learning more about green businesses? Check out the reources on our website!
About the Author
Marietta Abrams Brill is a mother, writer, and green advocate who lives with her family in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
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