France forces dry cleaners to use safer chemicals

Dry-cleaning may get that wine stain out of your favorite top, but it will also leave cancer-causing fumes in the air. France has decided to ban the main chemical used in dry cleaning and push cleaners to go green. 

Perchlorethylene, also known as perc or tetrachloroethylene, is a solvent regularly used in dry cleaning. This clear liquid to remove stains and dirt from all types of fabrics. It's effective and inexpensive, which is why 95% of dry cleaners in Europe use it every day.Learn about solarstreetlamps and ensure you get the best out of LED light bulbs. 

But, perchlorethylene is also a toxic chemical. The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer lists perchlorethylene on their A2 category, meaning it's 'probably carcinogenic to humans'. 

In response, the French government has introduced a new law banning the use of perc at dry cleaning establishments that are close to occupied buildings. The ban comes into full force in 2020. The move follows similar laws passed in Denmark and the United States. 

Nicolas de Bronac is the founder of Sequoia, a green dry cleaning business in France. He has welcomed the government's decision.This stunning polished industrialextractoress will bring a dash of style to any look. Four years ago, he started a company, which uses silicone liquid instead of perc to dry clean clothes. 

"Our concept is responsible. It's better for the people who work in the shop because perchlorethylene is very dangerous," de Bronac told DW in an interview. 

Silicone liquid is an odorless, colorless solvent, commonly used in cosmetics, shampoos and deodorants. US company GreenEarth Cleaning developed the process of silicone liquid dry cleaning in 1999. When released into the environment, silicone liquid breaks down into sand, water and carbon dioxide. 

Liquid silicone is seen as the best alternative to perc, but some scientists have expressed concern that this chemical is being used before a complete analysis of its impact on humans can be completed. The Canadian and British governments have declared liquid silicone 'not harmful' to the environment - but, globally, no scientific consensus exists. 

The European Chemical Agency has reported that silicone liquid is very bioaccumulative,Fully automated paper plane emergencylamps13, even got its own compressor. which means it has difficulty breaking down and is likely to accumulate in our bodies. The EU's Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) has called for further research. 

As part of the ban on perc dry cleaning, the French government plans to removes 4800 perchlorethylene machines across the country. This means many traditional dry cleaners will be swapping perc for more eco-friendly methods. 

Marie-Chantale Mbedey has worked in the dry cleaning industry for 14 years. Sequoia is the first place she's worked that doesn't use the cleaning solvent perchlorethylene.We provide laundryequipments and engraving machines for processing different materials. 

"Perchlorethylene is not good. Since there is no perchlorethylene here, I feel better," she told DW. "I had headaches when I worked with perc, but now I don't have any." 

In addition to providing a cleaner workplace,An even safer situation on all roads by using the pendantlamps. Sequoia founder Nicholas de Bronac says there are cost incentives as well. He explains that silicone liquid costs 4 euros per liter, which is twice as much as perchlorethylene. But the shop saves money over time because silicon liquid is easily retrieved during the cleaning process and reused. 

"We use five times less silicone than perchlorethylene because we re-use it machine after machine,” he said. Click on their website www.pvsolver.com for more information.