Good for the environment
Carbon Dioxide has the chemical formula CO2 and is a colorless and odorless gas that is naturally present in the atmosphere at a level of almost 0.04%.
Our own bodies produce it and the air we exhale contains 4%.
If Carbon dioxide gas is chilled and compressed it turns into a clear transparent liquid. This liquid is the solvent used in the CO2 cleaning process.
Carbon dioxide is often mentioned in environmental contexts. CO2 contributes to the greenhouse effect, and the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has slowly risen due to increased use of fossil fuels. It is therefore important to stop production of "new" CO2. Because of this, the CO2 used for cleaning is recycled gas collected from industrial processes, gas that would otherwise have been emitted through smokestacks. This gas is purified and used in the cleaning process (as well as in other applications), before it eventually returns to the atmosphere.
In that sense, CO2 dry-cleaning is environmentally neutral; it uses existing CO2 and therefore does not add to global warming.
Furthermore, Washpoint detergents used for CO2 cleaning; are environmentally friendly. This means that, as long as there are no hazardous materials on the clothing
being cleaned, the waste can be disposed of in traditional landfills or flushed down the drain - as with a wet cleaning process.
Reducing risks for staff
The liquid CO2 process considerably reduces the work-related hazards of dry-cleaning. Pechlorethylene (perc), the most commonly used dry-cleaning solvent, is a chlorinated hydrocarbon. Drycleaners have been and continue to be faced with costly regulations for toxicity, hazardous waste, and groundwater and soil contamination on federal, state, and local levels. Petroleum/hydrocarbon, on the other hand, is highly flamable.