Case
Study
DRYCLEANING SHOPS
Dry Cleaners: Alternative Drycleaning Solvent
| Company | La Nouvelle Fine Cleaners and Launderers 4025 East Dickenson Place Denver, CO 80222 |
|---|---|
| Person to Contact | Rick Bugdanowitz, Owner Telephone: (303) 691-0123 |
| Product or Service | Laundering/Dry cleaning - Fine Garments. |
| Number of Employees | 18 |
| Waste Stream Targeted | Perchloroethylene (Perc) emissions, waste |
| Original System | Multimatic Mercury Dry-to-Dry dry cleaning system, using perchloroethylene, a hazardous air pollutant (HAP), and potential human carcinogen. Wastes such as filters must be disposed of as hazardous waste. |
| New System (with P2 Modifications) |
Omega PDFS-45 Dry-to-Dry dry cleaning system, using a new solvent: Fluid-2000 (DF-2000), a high purity, aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent with a flash point of 147 F (made by Exxon). The system is a closed-loop, refrigerated petroleum cleaning system (similar to machines made for use with Stoddard solvent) with built-in nitrogen generating system (injects nitrogen into the drum, lowering the oxygen content, minimizing combustion potential). Cleaning ability of DF-2000 is comparable to PERC or Stoddard solvents. Waste products need not be disposed of as hazardous waste - spent solvent can be disposed of as used oil; and sludge and filters, when dry, may be disposed of in the dumpster. |
| Cost Savings | |
| Initial Equipment Cost | Omega PDFS-45 dry cleaning unit cost $50,000 + installation (about the same cost as a Perc dry cleaning machine). |
| Material Cost Savings | The previous system used 30 gallon/month of Perc @ $6.00/gallon or $2160/year. A similar quantity of DF-2000 is used @ $3.50/gallon or $850/year, a material cost savings of $1300/year. Detergent costs are similar to those of a Perc dry cleaning machine. |
| Waste Disposal Cost Savings | The original system generated 30 gallon/month of waste sludge and 13 spent filters/month for a total hazardous waste disposal cost of $4,300/year. With the new system, a similar quantity of waste sludge and filters may be generated but can be disposed of as nonhazardous solid waste at a cost of ~$300/yr, for a waste disposal cost savings of $4,000/year! |
| Total Cost Savings | ~$5,300/yr |
| Major Benefits | Total Cost Savings of $5,300/year. Eliminates Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs). Very mild on sensitive fabrics, trims, etc, and greatly reduces dye fading compared to PERC. Improved worker health and safety, reduced liability concerns. Odor level is dramatically lower than with Perc or Stoddard solvent. Positive business image. |
| Obstacles | No building modifications were required, but approval from the Fire
Marshal was required prior to start-up. DF 2000 is not intended for use in machines originally designed for Perc - equipment modifications are necessary for safe use. |
| Source/Supplier | Exxon Chemical Company P.O. Box 3272 Houston, TX 77253-3272 Omega Cleaning Systems |
| Time Since Implementation | 2 months. (12/13/95) |
| Main Reason Implemented | Reduce costs and liabilities associated with the use of perc. Improve worker health and safety. |
| Key to Success in Making this P2 Modification | Management support/commitment to pollution prevention. |
Created by Lighthouse Communications Group, LLC.
Edited for use on this site by Ronald Lee Still and posted with
permission of CDPHE.