The green dry clean
June 11th, 2009
Once you’ve transitioned from plastic bags to reusable totes for your grocery shopping and errands, finding ways to eliminate other plastic bags from your daily routine becomes addictive. So here’s an easy next step: Use a reusable dry cleaning bag. More than 300 million pounds of single-use plastic dry cleaning bags are sent to US landfills every year; that’s an inordinate amount of waste just so your clothes can be protected on their ride from the cleaner to your closet. (And for those who like to keep clothes “fresh” by keeping them in the closet with the dry cleaning plastic on, this actually prevents good airflow and can encourage mold and mildew growth.)
Many dry cleaners already offer these reusable bags to their customers, although it’s astonishing that despite the preponderance of environmentally friendly dry cleaners in Los Angeles, I have yet to see one. (Although I don’t own a lot of clothes that require dry cleaning; a good thing, since traditional dry cleaners use perchloroethylene, listed as a hazardous air pollutant by the Clean Air Act, and the jury is still out as to how green eco-friendly cleaners actually are.)
If your dry cleaner doesn’t sell reusable bags, you can buy one for $9.99 from The Green Garmento website. The bags are made from 100 percent recycled polypropylene and are machine washable. If you’re looking for a cotton option, Reuseniks offers one called — what else — the Clothesnik.
Just don’t forget to recycle your wire hangers!
–Jennifer Grayson
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June 11th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Hi Jennifer, great info, thanks! I work with a lot of dry cleaners and if you want to recycle hangers, try to keep them as perfect as possible as any bent or mangled hangers can’t be reused on their belts.
The Green Garmento is giving away free bags http://www.thegreengarmento.com/BASE/SS/get-free-bags/
Thanks!
June 12th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Thanks for the tip, Jennie. And if your wire hangers are too bent to take back to the cleaners, don’t forget that many local curbside recycling programs accept wire hangers — I know that Los Angeles does.
June 12th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Great blog entry! I have one and I am going to use my Green Garmento today! My bag eliminates the plastic and its also easy to wash. I found that with cotton or canvas bags, it takes forever to dry and sometimes they shrink or lose their shape. This bag is awesome!! Just say no to plastic!!!