Content about Environmental Issue

CHICAGO — Not so long ago, when you looked up “green” in the dictionary, there was a brief definition about color or pigment. Today, it’s difficult to read or hear the word “green” without also thinking of the environment, of conservation, of sustainability.

When writing about greening a business operation such as a drycleaner, it’s difficult to know where to start. There are so many different ways that a cleaner could boost its environmental profile, and so many different areas that are candidates for green initiatives.

And while going green could involve a decision to invest in new equipment, chemicals or supplies, there are low-cost, common sense changes that can also make a drycleaner more enviro-friendly.

OPPORTUNITIES TO GREEN

Every part of a drycleaning operation can be engineered to be “greener.” As you examine your operation for opportunities, here are just a few things to include on your checklist:

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) introduced a bill last month that seeks to cut pollution by placing a 5-cent tax on single-use plastic bags from drycleaners, grocery stores and other retailers.

“Our environment is literally choking on plastic bags,” Moran said in a statement, noting that oceans and rivers are clogged with plastic wastes. “Equally disturbing, as these plastics break down, toxic chemicals are being released into the environment.”

When it comes to environmental issues, logic doesn’t always prevail. And cleaning up the environment is something we all want to do — if what it takes fits into our idea of reasonable sacrifices for everyday life.

Unfortunately, the government doesn’t see the logic in drycleaners’ convenience or business success. Small businesses represent the core of the economy. Though we don’t generate the earnings some businesses do, we are an important piece of the economic puzzle.