Ticket Clean Way® Launches “ECO Pressing” Program

Known as “ECO Pressing” this program is designed to shrink the environmental footprint of the dry cleaning industry, which uses a significant amount of water and energy, and produces waste that can affect local ecosystems.

In 2008, as part of the Grenelle Environment Summit, the French government tightened regulations governing dry cleaning and stepped up inspections, spurring the industry to adopt more environmentally responsible practices.

The "ECO Pressing" program offers dry cleaners three eco-management resources:

• An Environmental Charter, comprising 50 initiatives to be undertaken to protect people and preserve the environment. Defined in accordance with the latest French regulations*, these initiatives fall into eight categories: information and awareness, safety and well-being, facility maintenance and inspection, air quality, cleaning products and solvents, water use and wastewater, energy use, and waste management. Dry cleaners who display the charter make a commitment to their customers to take measures in favor of the environment.
• A Best Practices Guide, which helps dry cleaners implement Charter initiatives and explains current legislation and regulations. It also encourages dry cleaners to exceed regulatory requirements, by suggesting alternatives to perchloroethylene, for example, and indicating where to submit applications for subsidies or obtain further information on environmental issues.
• A Self-Assessment Grid, designed specifically for the 1,300 dry cleaners affiliated with the Ticket Clean Way® network. It enables each affiliate to identify 21 priority initiatives and to calculate their environmental performance.

*Decree dated August 31, 2009 relating to the general provisions applicable to facilities deemed to pose a risk to the environment and subject to disclosure under section 2345 relating to the use of solvents for the dry cleaning and treatment of clothes and other textiles.