Apr 4, 2009 1:41 pm US/Eastern
Are Green Dry Cleaners All They Claim To Be?
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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More and more dry cleaners claim to be more eco-friendly.
WBZ
More and more dry cleaners are advertising themselves as green and friendly to the environment, but what do those claims really mean?
Brad Newman has added his dry cleaning to another way he's making his lifestyle more green
"I thought stepping I up a notch and taking my clothes to an eco friendly drycleaner would be just one more thing that I could do," Newman said.
Using a green dry cleaner is usually a more expensive, and sometimes it's not really clear if you're really helping the environment.
The Federal Trade Commission doesn't have any specific rules or regulations that apply," said James Kohm with the FTC.
Some stores use a hydrocarbon solvent -- believing it's better for the environment.-- even though it's petroleum based. But the Environmental Protection Agency says it is harmful, and Peter Sinsheimer from the Pollution Prevention Center agrees.
"When it is emitted, it produces smog as well as it is a greenhouse gas," he explained.
Other green cleaners use a silicone based cleaning system. The EPA is calling for more research after a study in rats showed a link to tumors. But Green Earth, a silicone maker, says another study dismisses the threat to humans. They say silicone is both green and safe
One of the best methods involves liquid CO2, but it's expensive and hard to find. Another is wet cleaning, a water based alternative that uses special detergents that are biodegradable.
If you're not clear what you're really paying for don't be shy
"Ask. If you're not sure what organic dry cleaning means, go to your dry cleaner and ask exactly what they mean," said Kohm.
Because figuratively speaking you don't want to be taken to the cleaners.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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