Implementing Green Chemistry in the Dry Cleaning Sector. Anna Zimmermann San Francisco Department of Environment

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1 Implementing Green Chemistry in the Dry Cleaning Sector Anna Zimmermann San Francisco Department of Environment

2 What Is Dry Cleaning? Why Does It Matter? Can Dry Cleaning Be Green?

3 Which Garments Do You Dry Clean? Federal Trade Commission requires care label on all garments Specialized way to clean garments & remove stains

4 The Dry Cleaning Industry 30,000 dry cleaning facilities in the US >5,000 in California Mostly small independently owned shops located near residential communities

5 Dry cleaning implies that garments do not get wet. Dry cleaning is NOT DRY. Clothes are immersed and cleaned in a liquid chemical solvent.

6 Early Cleaning Solvents KEROSENE, BENZENE, WHITE GASOLINE 1930 STODDARD PETROLEUM PERCHLOROETHYLENE

7 Perchloroethylene Perc Used in >90% of U.S. dry cleaning facilities

8 Health Hazards of Perc Skin, eye, respiratory irritation Nervous system effects Damage to liver, kidneys Proposition 65 Carcinogen Reproductive toxin

9 Routes of Exposure

10 Perc can contaminate: >75% of dry cleaning sites are contaminated (State Coalition for Remediation of Dry Cleaners - US EPA)

11 What is the government doing? SF Grant Program CA state law phases out Perc by Perc cleaners will have to switch to an alternative technology?

12 Alternatives to Perc

13 Hydrocarbon solvent: Stoddard solvent blend Perchloroeth ylene 1- Propyl bromide Contains aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g. benzene, a carcinogen) Neurotoxic, eye, skin and respiratory irritation Potential concerns for bioaccumulation and aquatic toxicity Carcinogen (California's Proposition 65 list) Liver and kidney effects Neurotoxic, eye, skin and respiratory irritation Persistent in the environment Male and female reproductive toxicant and developmental toxicant (California's Proposition 65 list) Neurotoxic, eye, skin and respiratory irritation Emits smog forming VOCs Mandatory phase out in progress (Bay Area Air Quality Management District) ILLEGAL per CA Fire Code Flammable liquid (Class I) 4, NFPA rating 3 Use without sufficient stabilizer likely to cause corrosion and damage to cleaning equipment 5

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15 Common Perc Alternatives Hydrocarbon solvents: DF-2000 TM EcoSolv Shell Sol PureDry Neurotoxicity, eye, skin and respiratory irritation Potential concerns for persistence and aquatic toxicity Complex mixtures which may contain other ingredients of concern GreenEarth (D5) solvent Suspected carcinogen, reproductive toxin Liver, immune and nervous system effects Persistent in environment; detected in fish

16 Green Product or Greenwashing? Hydrocarbon or petroleum solvents are made by

17 Health & Environmental Hazards Eye, skin and respiratory irritation Neurological effects Can persist in environment and cause aquatic toxicity Emits smog forming volatile organic compounds (VOCs) Flammable

18 Green Product or Greenwashing?

19 Health & Environmental Hazards Green Earth = liquid silicone solvent decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) Suspected carcinogen, reproductive toxin Liver, immune and nervous system effects Persists in environment; detected in fish

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21 Carbon Dioxide Dry Cleaning High pressure system cleans with liquid CO 2 By-product of industrial processes No environmental, health hazards identified

22 Carbon Dioxide Cleaning with Micell Technologies Patent indicates possible use of PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) Raises concerns for endocrine disruption, reproductive and developmental effects Persistence, bioaccumulation

23 Professional Wet Cleaning Cleans in specialized washers & dryers that control revolutions, temperature, moisture Cleaning with soap and water

24 Barriers to Adopting Wet Cleaning Fear garments will shrink, be damaged New process Cultural/language barrier Cost to convert

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27 Greening the Cleaning Industry Building Partnerships Wet cleaners Distributors Trade associations State demo program Local agencies

28 Greening the Cleaning Industry Raising Awareness Workshop brings together stakeholders Multilingual door-to-door outreach Wet cleaning demonstrations

29 Greening the Cleaning Industry Creating Incentives for Cleaners Regulatory Action Perc banned by 2023 Cost competitive with other alternatives Financial Incentives - CARB offers $10,000/cleaner to convert to wet or CO 2 $$

30 Consumer Outreach

31 Green Business Recognition

32 Key Moment to Act Quantifiable environmental benefits of wet cleaning vs. hydrocarbon cleaning: Total GHG reduced (based on energy use): 3833 lbs CO2/cleaner/year Annual VOCs generated by hydrocarbon cleaners: 202 lbs/cleaner/year Total hydrocarbon solvent used over 15 years: 935 gal/cleaner

33 Questions? Anna Zimmermann (415)