When Noel Bennett and three of his partners
wanted to go into business, Bennett's Boulderness came into play.
"Having grown up in Boulder, it's easy to get infused with that
environmentally friendly part," said Bennett, who also is a mortgage
broker.
Two years ago, he and his partners -- an insurance agent and two lawyers --
founded Revolution Cleaners, a dry cleaning business that uses liquid carbon
dioxide to clean clothes and also touts eco-friendly practices, including
biodiesel-powered delivery vans, hemp laundry bags and bamboo flooring.
The company already has three locations -- two in Denver and a 9-month-old one
on North Broadway in Boulder.
On a sunny Thursday, Helen Cuccaro, of Boulder, stopped by the location at 4680
Broadway to pick up some clothes.
"I just wanted to try the environmentally friendly product," she said.
"I'm really pleased with it."
When clothes are dropped off, they are sent to the company's plant in Denver,
where they are cleaned in big steel machines by either liquid carbon dioxide or
wet-cleaning processes.
"We're out to change the industry," said Rusty Perry, one of
Revolution's managing partners.
The industry is one where the majority of dry cleaners use solvents and
detergents to clean clothes that might otherwise shrink or bleed if cleaned in
water. And according to the International Fabricare Institute, the solvent used
by about 85 percent of the dry cleaning industry is perchloroethylene, also
known as perc. Perc is a toxic chemical, according to the Environmental
Protection Agency.
The extent of any health effects from perc depends on the amount of perc and the
length of exposure, the EPA said. Some laboratory studies have shown that perc
has caused cancer in rats and mice when they swallow and inhale it, and in 1995
the International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded that perc is
"probably carcinogenic to humans."
In Southern California, air quality officials voted to ban the use of perc and
make all dry cleaners be perc-free by 2020.
During the past 25 years, dry cleaners have taken steps to reduce emissions of
perc into the environment, according to the International Fabricare Institute,
which said solvents used in dry cleaning are not dangerous.
In 2003, perc consumption in the dry cleaning industry was 39 million pounds,
nearly 10 times less than the 361 million pounds used in 1979, according to the
Textile Care Allied Trades Association.
Like Revolution Cleaners, a couple of other local cleaners are hoping to make
some green out of providing alternatives to perc.
Burak Yorumez and his two brothers started GreenEco Cleaners, 2850 Iris Ave., in
Boulder about 3 1/2 years ago. The one-price cleaners uses hydrocarbon solvents,
petroleum-based alternatives to perc.
The equipment is a little pricey for the cleaners, which charges a standard
price of $1.99 on all garments, but Yorumez said building a good demand and
volume keeps the price low for the customers.
"They don't really trust us just because of our price," he said.
"But once they do try us, they love us."
The hydrocarbon solvents are also used at the 6-month-old Enviro Cleaners, 2859
28th St.
"It's much safer for the customer. It's much safer here, too," said
Hoo Namn Kang, Enviro Cleaners' owner.
However, one of the alternatives to perc also has recently come under fire.
Preliminary studies of a silicone-based solvent billed as "environmentally
friendly and non-toxic" indicate there may be a cancer hazard associated
with the Siloxane D5 solvent, the EPA said.
As those studies progress, Revolution Cleaners' Perry said getting in on the
ground floor of liquid carbon dioxide cleaning could be a boon for businesses
like his. Revolution plans to have seven locations open by the end of this year
and plans to expand to other markets -- including Seattle and Boise -- within
five years.
"Right now it's a great time to get into the industry," Perry said.
"The industry needs to change."
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Source: Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News