Making your wallet greener, too
America may be the land of the free, but it is still a country that survives and
thrives due to capitalism. Every business owner knows it feels good to give
back to the community and help others, but none of that can happen if you do
not turn a profit. That
’s why it can be so hard to do the right thing, because, after all, the right
thing is usually the more expensive option.
Most of the time, the more green you try to be, the more green will escape from
your wallet. This month
’s personality profile (on page 6) — Derba Mills, owner of Clothesline Cleaners — admits it is not easy being the only 100 percent wetcleaner in San Antonio. She
goes to great lengths to be eco-friendly in every corner of her business, even
if it is not always the most financially sound avenue to pursue. While some of
her customers recognize her sacrifices and appreciates them, Derba believes
that most consumers do not care if the plant is green, only that the clothes
are clean.
Still, that does not mean cleaners shouldn’t look for the best of both worlds. Some green practices do not cost much to
implement, and others cut down significantly on overall production costs. For
example, how energy efficient is your old equipment? Buying new machinery is
hardly cheap up front, but replacing outdated pieces often saves you lots of
money in the long run and could improve your overall quality. And, what about
your plant itself? Something as simple as replacing old windows and making use
of natural sunlight or using high energy bulbs can reduce lighting and heating
utility costs.
With gasoline prices skyrocketing steadily again, it might be time to consider
purchasing a delivery van with better gas mileage, or perhaps one that runs on
biodiesel fuel. You can also probably cut back on packaging waste. Offer
reusable transport bags to VIP customers for starters. While most cleaners
recycle wire hangers whenever they can, Americans still throw out 2 million
pounds of them in landfills every year. Yet, there are alternatives out there
that are 100 percent biodegradable. Of course, such options might not work for
every cleaner, but it is a good idea to find out what will work.
The next time you contact your local allied trades representative, find out if
there are other cost-effective ways that your business can practice in order to
be greener. After all, plant owners should not have to jeopardize their bottom
line just because they want to help protect the planet and feel a little better
about themselves in the process.
Another industry’s perspective on perc
Perspective is everything. We thought we had entered bizarro world while reading
a press release announcing a breakthrough in cleaning technology. This new
technology, designed for the parts cleaning industry, is, we are told,
environmentally friendly because it is recyclable and doesn
’t use water.
And what is at the heart of this “unique, waterless cleaning system?” Perchloroethylene, a solvent familiar to all drycleaners but apparently a new
thing to this Michigan company that makes equipment for hospitals to clean and
disinfect equipment and the auto industry to clean parts. The company, Midbrook
Inc., describes itself as
“a leading provider of high-volume parts cleaning systems, metal fabrication
assemblies and full-service production washing.
” With these new perc cleaning systems, the company says it will be able to
branch out into new areas.
“If you stamp, machine, grind, assemble or in some other way manufacture parts
you can
’t get clean enough with alkaline soap and hot water,” the company says, “We can offer a hermetically sealed, non-aqueous solvent system as an alternative
that
’s safe, effective, economical and legal.” The new system can “eliminate a wide range of contaminants,” the company added, “whereas aqueous detergents are usually soil specific and a variety of chemicals
may be required to be effective.
”
Hearing perc described by another industry as a breakthrough — and an environmentally friendly one at that — is not something we have heard from even the most ardent perc fans in the
drycleaning industry. Perhaps Midbrook can give perc-using cleaners some hints
on how they can join their non-perc fellow cleaners in laying claim to being
environmentally friendly.
