Complying with regulations

Legislation governing solvent use is increasingly becoming the dominant factor in the development of drycleaning machines. Machine manufacturers are working to ensure both that perchloroethylene (perc) machines conform with environmental and safety regulations and that they also provide machines capable of handling the alternative solvents now available.

Despite its position as the leading all-purpose solvent choice for drycleaners, perc has, and continues to be, the subject of scientific debate and regulatory restrictions.

Concern about perc’s effects upon the environment and health has led to a search for alternative ways to clean clothing – and created, in turn, a new generation of machines.

According to Valerio Gatti, export manager for Italian drycleaning machine manufacturer Firbimatic, the new regulations have “stimulated us to proceed quicker in the technological development, both in finding new solutions to reduce emissions for machines for perc and in designing specific machines for alternative solvents.”

These alternatives, supported by a new generation of equipment, are:

silicon-based

hydrocarbon-based

carbon dioxide (CO2)

wetcleaning.

Perc and hydrocarbon have been in use as drycleaning solvents for many years and are supported by an effective range of detergents and stain treatment chemicals.

Siloxane is the most environmentally-friendly of the newer solvents and many cleaners are seeing this as an increasingly important issue.

In the view of senior managers at Firbimatic UK, the drycleaning machinery market in both Europe and North America is increasingly driven by legislation aimed specifically at users of volatile organic compounds or VOC’s. In Europe, all drycleaning businesses must conform to the European Union’s Solvent Emissions Directive (SED). The SED is a directive relating to “the limitation of emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) due to the use of organic solvents in certain activities and installations”.

Drycleaners must meet a total emission limit of 20g of solvent emitted per kg of product cleaned and dried or implement a solvent reduction plan. Compliance is required immediately for new installations, and by 31 October 2007 for existing installations (they must have a full year’s records by this date).

Every establishment that uses solvents that come within the directive’s terms must be registered and monitored by its local authority. Drycleaners need to produce evidence that a competent engineer regularly maintains the machine and that it complies with the requirements of the directive.

Compliance is now mandatory for all new drycleaning installations, operating new or secondhand drycleaning machines.

Technology has reduced emissions, according to Théo Lagrange, chairman of Cinet, the International Committee of Textile Care. He says solvent producers and machine manufacturers are continually working to provide the Best Available Technique (BAT), which is seen as an obligation, both towards the environment and the workforce. The environmental challenge has been met with a wider range of solvents, which will help the industry to remain in business, he said.

Firbimatic’s Valerio Gatti said the new regulations have affected drycleaners in the sense that they have now to follow more strict procedure in the handling and in the use of solvents and their residues. “Basically, in the case of perc, the regulations are aimed at reducing as much as possible these emissions. In case of hydrocarbon, lawmakers are more concerned about their flammability and relevant risks,” says Gatti.

Because regulations vary in each marketplace, large international machinery manufacturers like Firbimatic design their machines for absolute compliance with the toughest regulatory requirements in the total market.

For example German law requires carbon recovery to be fitted to all perc machines; thus all Firbimatic perc systems supplied to the UK market in the past year for example, have the connections factory-fitted so that if the UK regulations are changed to require carbon recovery, then the unit can be retro-fitted.

According to Firbimatic UK, the percentage of machines using ecologically safer solvents than perc, like GreenEarth, is increasing as a direct result of the SED. However, the company adds there is concern over the long-term future of perc as an approved solvent and this is the main driver for the success of alternatives.

A survey by Cinet of drycleaning machine numbers across the EU found that conversion to modern low emission drycleaning machines will result in a maximum emission of 8,550t/yr under the SED by 2007, a reduction of 83% from the 50,805t emission identified in the EU’S 1994 risk assessment for drycleaning use. Cinet’s forecast assumes all machines convert to Type IV before 31 October 2007.

If any drycleaning machine now installed is of earlier date than 4th Generation, then it is most unlikely that it can be operated legally under the SED regulations, says Firbimatic UK.

Being based in Germany, one of the world’s most environmentally stringent dry cleaning markets, Böwe is, more than most manufacturers, set up to meet and exceed legislative requirements with regard to emissions, consumptions and all so-called BATs (Best Available Techniques).

Perc continues to be the solvent of choice in the UK when buying a new machine, says Banbury-based Böwe distributor Böwe Ltd’s Ian Hearle, but the genuine alternatives available in the new generation of silicone solvents and hydrocarbon are fast gaining in popularity as they are proven in processing.

This year sees Böwe launch its new StarLine PX series of machines, introduced to complement the Böwe PremiumLine range, effectively giving the company what must be the most comprehensive selection of machines it has ever had to offer.

“For 60 years now Böwe has been the leading innovator in dry cleaning machines,” says Hearle. “The PremiumLine and StarLine ranges offer capacities, specifications and prices to suit everybody.” Featuring Böwe’s well-established 6th Generation technology, the PremiumLine encompasses both the P series (perc) and Multisolvent M series (GreenEarth and silicone solvents and hydrocarbon) with capacities from 12kg to 30kg.

The Böwe M series machines for GreenEarth and hydrocarbon have a true fractional distillation and an automatic multi-step water separator, essential in totally separating water and low-boiling liquid from these solvents.

Böwe has developed the system specifically to cater for the latest generation silicone solvents; others have chosen to remain with older technology that, whilst effective with hydrocarbon for which it was originally developed, is proving not to be so effective with silicone solvents, says Hearle.

Böwe says its StarLine is unique in having just one all-encompassing specification. Doing this enables Böwe to keep manufacturing costs – and therefore sales prices – low. Available in crossline format, 13 and 19kg capacities, steam and electrically heated, and for perc (hydrocarbon models will be available in the Spring) the Böwe StarLine is a two tank machine designed to meet SED regulations.

Other companies are introducing a new generation of drycleaning machines suitable for hydrocarbon-based solvents, silicone solvents, GreenEarth and other alternative solvents. The Renzacci range is designed so that operators can tailor the wash cycles to their specific requirements, leading to greater produductivity and significant savings in energy, solvent and water. The Renzacci machines are available in capacities of 33lb to 176lb (15-80kg), and include hard mount rigid drum types, soft mounted with suspended drum, modular and twin versions. Its hydrocarbon machines meet the stringent requirements demanded in the global drycleaning industry.

Maestrelli has introduced its latest Dreamclean series of drycleaning machines suitable for use with hydrocarbon/silicon solvents, which feature high-speed extraction with soft mounted basket.

It also produces the Energy line of perc solvent drycleaning machines, which has been expanded to include industrial sizes of 75lbs up to 150lbs. These are available both in single and twin configurations.

Union of Italy is one of the world’s largest manufacturer of textile drycleaning machines for use with perchloroethylene and all Class III-A solvents (such as hydrocarbon and GreenEarth). Machine sizes range from 35lbs to 165lbs. Union machines comply with USA federal, state, and local regulations set forth by EPA/OSHA and the Clean Air Act for the use of perc.

According to Firbimatic UK, when considering choice of machinery, running costs of the systems under review are a most important consideration in the purchasing decision. While perc machines appear at first inspection to have a distinct price advantage of close to 17-20%, when the ‘extras’ have been added to the machine, such as an automatic residue removal, a solvent chill line and integrated carbon recovery system, then the capital cost of a competing systems is almost identical.

Valerio Gatti at Firbimatic says: “The purpose of regulation is to reduce solvent emissions, and reducing solvent consumption contributes to reduce substantially operational costs. This should be sufficient motivation for drycleaners to willingly comply with new regulations: even though it seems that initial investment is higher, they will save operational costs in the long term.”

In the USA, drycleaners are now subject to strict limits on the amount of perc they can emit, and must also implement technologies that reduce perc emissions. The question of perc’s carcinogenicity has been a subject of much study and debate over the past 25 years. The USA Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently classifies perc as a “possible” carcinogen but has tried to move it up to the more serious “probably” category.

The Halogenated Solvents Industry Alliance (HSIA), which represents manufacturers, importers and users of perc, has sponsored research in this field. HSIA’s comprehensive Nordic survey has added to substantially to the evidence that perc does not cause cancer in humans (see news page).

Perc appears to be maintaining its dominance in the USA drycleaning market, even in California (CA) where regulatory authorities in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas have made it more difficult for perc cleaners. The alternatives look to be popular among cleaners with multiple machines who have the flexibility to experiment and cleaners facing pressure from landlords concerned about the potential for soil and groundwater contamination, says Steve Risotto of the HSIA.

“Although we certainly see some cleaners deciding to switch to hydrocarbon (and to a lesser degree, GreenEarth), most appear comfortable in their use of perc.”

Reports of uterine cancer in rats exposed to Green Earth have caused some hesitancy in the solvent's long-term viability, he adds. The significance of this finding currently is under review within federal EPA and the CA agencies. Groundwater contamination appears to be less of a factor influencing cleaners’ decisions about a solvent than in the past, says Risotto. However, concern about contamination and potential impact on property values has caused some landlords to pressure cleaners to make changes. In some cases, the landlords do not appear to discriminate among the solvents.

“We expect federal EPA to issue a supplemental regulation for PERC drycleaners within the next year or so, but do not expect that it will result in major changes to the industry. A few states (California and New Jersey) are contemplating changes to the requirements for cleaners in their state. Although a perc phase-out may be one of the options they consider, we expect the industry to offer strong opposition to such proposals.”

A report published by the European Union in February last year found that CO2 is best combined with wet cleaning processes within a cleaning facility.

Carbon dioxide-laundered clothes are good for the environment, for laundry employees, and for those who wear the clothes, according to Jan Hamrefors, AGA’s project manager for the Hangers’ rollout in Europe. “Clothes last longer when cleaned with CO2. We also recommend CO2 cleaning for somewhat finer garments.”

Eight partners are behind the venture and include Büfa, Aga/Linde, Electrolux, Krom, Sparqle, Promikron, Schicon, and Kymi Rens. Development began in the USA in the mid-1990s on a cleaning method based on liquid carbon dioxide. When CO2 gas is liquefied under pressure (as in a fire extinguisher) it becomes an ideal solvent for drycleaning all types of textile. When combined with a specially developed detergent, without water, the procedure is odourless and leaves no residue in the treated textile. After cleaning, the CO2 is returned to its original gaseous form so that a drying procedure is not necessary as it is with perc or hydrocarbons.

The Hangers Cleaners franchise was brought from the USA to Sweden in the autumn of 2003 by AGA/Linde, holder of a European licence for this type of CO2 cleaning. The franchise was extended to the Netherlands, where five stores opened in 2004.

A research project demonstrated the operation of liquid CO2 textile cleaning with two full scale CO2 pilot units both in Denmark and in the Netherlands testing 38 different textile materials and nine different garment articles.

The results were compared to those obtained by conventional perc drycleaning, and examined stain removal, effect on textile properties, energy, safety and cost price. The report also compared it with three other alternatives for perc – wet cleaning, hydrocarbon cleaning and cyclosiloxane cleaning.

The report found that the costs of CO2 textile cleaning are 20% lower than of drycleaning with perc; that the CO2 textile cleaning technology has the potential to replace perc completely within the next 10-20 years. The rate of penetration will depend on obsolescence of current perc machines, available investment funds, knowledge transfer and governmental regulations.