Bancrofts Dry Cleaning, located in Toorak Road, South Yarra, has transformed their operations dramatically by moving away from chemical use and implementing ‘Clean and Green’ processes and products. Proprietor Nick Bancroft, is well aware of the environmental impacts of the Dry Cleaning industry and is working hard to achieve a competitive advantage by turning the perceptions of his industry on its head.

Nick explains some of his sustainability initiatives and the benefits to his business.

Green Earth Cleaning

“We used to use strong chemicals such as percoethlyne in our cleaning processes and have switched to an environmentally friendly silicone based cleaning agent called Green Earth. The benefits to our business have been enormous – there is no longer any nasty chemical smell and it actually works better. Our customers now walk into the shop and comment that they can ‘smell the difference”.

Biodegradable Plastics

“We now wrap our garments in ‘oxo biodegradable’ plastics which decompose without producing greenhouse gas emissions. We also use a heavier duty oxo biodegradable plastic in our carry bags which means our customers are more likely to use them over and over again. Our customers love it!”

Reduced Water Consumption

“Water conservation is a critical issue for Victorians. We have implemented a new wet cleaning system that enables us to recycle 32% of our water.”

Reduced Gas Consumption

“We have reduced our gas consumption for heating water by capturing steam from our production process and feeding it back into the hot water unit. Down go our water bills!”

These are just some of the many initiatives undertaken by Bancrofts. For more information on how they've broadened their customer base while helping the environment, visit the sustainability page at www.bancrofts.com.au.