Sustainability is not only good for the planet but your dry-cleaning operations, too. More and more consumers are placing a greater emphasis on doing business with eco-friendly companies. “Greening” your dry-cleaning business while investing in efficient and water-saving equipment from Rema Dri-Vac will help you attract new customers and grow your overall operations. When done right and marketed correctly, a green dry-cleaning business can be a true win-win for your bottom line and the environment.
Any overall sustainability effort isn’t likely to have one magic solution that makes a big difference. Although, if you adopt several strategies that add up over time you will begin to notice a change in the environmental efficiency of your operations. Here’s a look at some of those strategies that can help transform your dry-cleaning business into a green cleaning powerhouse:
Invest in High-Efficiency Equipment
The most significant step you can take in greening your dry-cleaning business is to invest in high-efficiency equipment. This equipment typically offers water and energy-conserving benefits without sacrificing performance. From air vacuums to Burks Pumps, Rema Dri-Vac offers multiple pieces of sustainable equipment to help aid any dry-cleaning company’s sustainability goals. Don’t focus on replacing all of your equipment with energy-efficient models today. Instead, take inventory of it and consider altering your equipment replacement plan to acquire long-lasting machinery over time.
Additionally, be sure to invest in a routine maintenance plan to ensure any equipment is running at a high, efficient level. While preventative maintenance does have an upfront cost to it, this price is minimal considering the payoff that high performing equipment provides (not to mention reduced risk of equipment breakdowns and emergency maintenance).
Avoid Abrasive Chemicals
Certain chemicals are much more environmentally friendly than others, and the first step to becoming a green dry-cleaning business is to take stock of what chemicals you’re using. Consider switching to more eco-friendly products such as liquid carbon dioxide, or CO2 dry cleaning which is a non-toxic option. You can use D-5 solvents as well.
It may also be worthwhile to transform your dry-cleaning operations to wet cleaning, which utilizes non-chemical and biodegradable solvents.
Don’t Forget About the Little Things
Boxes, bags, tags, hangers — it’s easy to look past these, but any great sustainability initiative should consider them. Make sure that you’re recycling when you can and look into tags and hangers that are made from biodegradable materials such as recycled paper and plastic. Also, rather than use plastic bags, check to see if paper is an option.
Additionally, you’ll want to invest in high-efficiency LED bulbs to conserve energy throughout your facility. It may be worth it to invest in lighting motion detectors so that lights shut off when nobody is in a certain area of space. Like we said, every little thing you can do adds up over time.
For more information on how to take your dry-cleaning business to new, sustainable heights with advanced high-efficiency equipment, contact Rema Dri-Vac today.