EPA’s full press statement about the report is available at: www.epa.gov

At Sir Galloway, YOU have the option when it comes to dry cleaning solvents. All you need to do is advise your Customer Service Representative, ‘Perc or Hydrocarbon – once again, it’s your choice.

In 1984 when the Mills family opened Sir Galloway, they quickly realized that the largest single complaint customers have about their dry cleaners is missing, broken, and loose buttons.   While we had a passion to get this right, initially we failed.  During training, we asked the inspector to look at each button.   Our “do over” tracking showed that we were guilty of sending shirts out with missing, broken, or loose buttons.   This just would not do.

We were not content to be just like every other cleaner, thinking that the customer would tolerate a few missing buttons as the standard.   We were better, we had to figure this out, and fast.

Mark Mills worked in the inspection area with his management team.  We conducted time studies, hand and eye activities, etc.  Bottom line, if we were to look at a button, we would miss the occasional cracked, loose or missing.    We developed a plan to look, touch, and apply pressure to every button.  That was extremely time consuming, we needed more hands and eyes to be able to say… Never a missing button.   The next step was to design a reward system for great results.   Kelly Barco has been the lead inspector for 16 years.   Kelly also checks for stains, and pressing imperfections – then hand finishes the shirts or sends them down the line for the next inspector if she falls behind.

The next step is to have management check the work, on a regular basis – every day, and track the results.   Several times during the day, a team of managers and assistant managers, check the finished line and attach a quality check card on each shirt that passes inspection.  Any shirt that does not pass inspection is returned to the inspector and corrected.

Finally, when a customer returns a shirt with a missing button, a “do over” invoice is created.  A report is provided to Mark Mills every week.   We can honestly say, that there is never a missing button.

As part of our environmental responsibility, it is important to find vendors that share the same concern with the environment.

Biodegradable poly bags

In the Dry Cleaning and Laundry industry plastic bags are an environmental concern.

These bags are generally made of three options:, and there is significant difference between:

• conventional poly
• biodegradable poly
• degradable poly.

Conventional poly

Conventional poly is unfortunately used by the vast majority of cleaners.

This material cannot be recycled by a recycling facility.

Furthermore, conventional poly does not break down (i.e., biodegrade) in a landfill or breakdown (i.e., degrade) in the environment.

It is composed of petroleum-based materials called resins that are resistant to biodegradation or degradation.
Conclusions:

• Conventional poly is not recyclable.
• Conventional poly is not biodegradable.
• Conventional poly is not degradable.
• In a landfill, conventional poly may degrade in 100 to 500 years.

Some cleaners claim that their poly is “biodegradable.”Biodegradable poly

Like conventional poly, biodegradable poly cannot be recycled by a recycling facility.

In order to transform conventional poly into biodegradable poly, manufacturers add a special, patented additive to the resin during manufacture – an additive that is a food source for bacteria, fungi and algae.

The problem, however, is that biodegradable poly must be buried in a biologically active environment (such as a landfill) in order to degrade.

Biodegradable poly will NEVER degrade UNLESS it’s buried in a biologically active landfill.

Degradable poly

Degradable poly is used by a few cleaners.

Unlike conventional poly or biodegradable poly, degradable poly can be recycled by a recycling facility.

With degradable poly, degradation depends on light, heat or air, does not require burial in a biologically active environment (such as a landfill), does not depend on direct contact with microorganisms and/or other materials that are themselves biodegrading in the landfill, produces no methane gas, and breaks down in less than 2 years.
As members of the Green Cleaners Council, Sir Galloway Cleaners in Miami, is one of those cleaners committed to protect the environment. by operating a green plant. From the cleaning products to the packaging, you will feel good knowing your clothing is cleaned and processed with environmentally friendly methods. They use biodegradable poly bags, recycled hangers and offer hydro carbon cleaning; all to better take care of you and the environment.

Dry cleaning is a process that cleans clothes without water. The cleaning fluid that is used is a liquid, and all garments are immersed and cleaned in a liquid solvent — the fact that there is no water is why the process is called “dry.” In this video HowStuffWorks takes a behind-the-scenes look at the dry-cleaning process so that you can understand what happens to your clothes after you drop them off at the cleaners!

So how can you tell if your dry cleaner is green? There are several main factors to consider and to ask your cleaner about.

Responsible Waste Disposal - Regardless of the cleaning process they use, when cleaners remove the dirt and grime from dirty clothes, they create environmentally hazardous waste. A green cleaner will dispose of their waste in an environmentally responsible way. They will hire a waste management company, like Safey-Kleen, to remove and dispose of the waste using a “closed loop” model.

Recycling - Many cleaners will accept the return of your used wire hangers and plastic packaging. But what do they do with them?  They should reuse any hangers that are still in good condition and send the rest to your city’s recycling program, along with all the other recyclable waste generated by their operation.

Proper Machine Operation - If properly operated and maintained, the new 4th and 5th generation dry cleaning machines recycle over 96% of the solvent they use. They are designed to keep the solvent inside the machine and out of the air and ground water. However, machines that are not maintained properly will not operate as efficiently. Leaky or broken component parts should be repaired or replaced immediately.

Carbon Footprint Reduction - There are many things a cleaner can do to reduce their carbon footprint. Switching to flourescent bulbs, insulating pipes, and replacing antiquated machinery with new more energy efficient models will reduce their energy bill and reduce CO2 emissions. However, by far the biggest way to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions is to provide pick-up and delivery service. Every order of clothes that the cleaner delivers is one less round trip to their store for their customers. The typical van can service over 300 homes a day, 6 days a week, 50 weeks a year, eliminating thousands of time & energy consuming trips.