Dry cleaner waste

Most dry cleaning and garment care facilities have similar types of dangerous waste.

• Aerosol cans.
• Absorbent materials contaminated with dangerous waste (often PERC).
• Detergents and cleaners.
• Lint (often contaminated with PERC or other hazardous products that become waste).
• Machinery (like machine filters) contaminated with PERC or other dangerous waste.
• Mercury light bulbs and lamps.
• Solvents:
  • Spotting agents.
  • PERC.
  • Trichloroethylene.
  • Sludge or “bottoms” from solvent stills that recycle solvents.
  • Toluene.
  • MEK.
  • Glycol ethers liquid silicone.
  • Liquid CO₂.
  • Brominate solvents.
  • Other solvents.
• Used shop towels.
• Water (wash water, separator water) and muck, contaminated with PERC.

Following pollution prevention (P2) best practices can reduce pollution and lower overall costs. For dry cleaners, we recommend that you:

• Use newer, more efficient equipment (like a closed loop dry-to-dry system) to reduce solvent use and waste.
• Replace activated carbon adsorber PERC traps with a refrigerated condenser to reduce PERC-contaminated separator water.
• Dissolve any additive completely before the solvent goes through the filter.
• Fill the filter housing completely with solvent when you are not using the equipment.
• Keep solvent return temperatures at or below 90 degrees F or 32 degrees Centigrade (C) when you run the still. This decreases solvent loss through the storage tank vent.
• Inspect equipment and piping regularly for leaks, worn parts, proper temperatures, and solvent "mileage." Repair problems quickly.

For more help, contact our pollution prevention assistance (PPA) team.