Holland America Line’s flagship M.S. Rotterdam is now using a new technology that entirely eliminates the use of toxic dry cleaning solvents.
The M.S. Rotterdam conversion, first announced May 22, 2006 by Winning Brands Corporation, is a harbinger of things to come in the Dry Cleaning industry internationally because of the fact that this self-contained luxury cruise ship (with a combined crew and passenger count in the thousands) mimics a small city. It is now successfully processing all “Dry Clean Only” garments entirely without conventional Dry Cleaning, which is considered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to be toxic.
The new method uses clean water as the carrier of the new active cleaning agents instead of Perchloroethylene. “Perc” is a solvent known in the industry to be non-biodegradable and subject of intense scrutiny. The newly installed system also reduces costs.
Winning Brands Corporation stated that the contracted conversion of the M.S. Rotterdam was completed on time and on budget. It has also passed the test of real world use in subsequent evaluation cruises over the past 30 days. This evidence of a viable alternative to increasingly regulated toxic solvents has positive business implications for an industry with over $3 Billion in retail sales annually and will be welcome news to environmental agencies worldwide.
George Loney, President of the Ontario Fabricare Association who is part of the team overseeing this paradigm shift with Holland America Lines is considered an expert in this emerging field. He thanks the cruise line for their leadership through early adoption.
Loney states, “This is impossible to ignore. Evening gowns, tuxedos, silk ties, entertainer stagewear, crew uniforms, the best wool suits and more – all now being professionally cleaned here without the use of Perchloroethylene. This is now possible by conversion of Dry Cleaning plants anywhere.”
Jim Giddings, Systems Specialist and Clive Wing, Head of Installations for Winning Brands’ Solvent Free Solutions Team delivered their Report of Completion following continuous testing enroute to Monaco, Rome, Athens, Lisbon and other international ports of call. “The Dry Cleaning system had been entirely removed. There was no fall-back position. The new method had to work – and did,” the team noted.
The Solvent Free Solutions Initiative between Winning Brands Corporation and German appliance manufacturer Miele represents a safer way to keep “Dry Cleaning” garments clean. The new system combines hardware, programming and advanced cleaning agents into a propriety form of Wet Cleaning. It had been awarded installation on Holland America Line’s flagship MS Rotterdam to be followed by sea trials to prove that the system is operationally and financially viable.
This conversion represented profound initiative for the benefit of its passengers and crew. Holland America Lines, Miele, and the Winning Brands Solvent Free Solutions Team had much to prove to a skeptical industry that had not thought it possible to entirely eliminate a chemical that had become so mainstream, despite increasingly alarming information about Perc’s health hazards. The post installation review shows that garment cleaning benchmarks are being achieved and associated long term costs trending lower.
Winning Brands Corporation manufacturers the proprietary cleaning agents for the system used aboard the Holland America Lines vessel and works through its Solvent Free Solutions Team with industry leaders such as international appliance manufacturer Miele to bring these solutions to the field. The group is targeting the conversion of all cruise ships internationally and land based Dry Cleaners.
Wet Cleaning solutions to be used by cruise ships and converting Dry Cleaners are estimated to be worth greater than $100 Million dollars annually. This is due to the continuous nature of Dry Cleaning, high volume garment cleaning requirements on board and cruise ship operators’ growing preference for environmentally responsible practices worldwide. Despite these significant revenues for the supply of Wet Cleaning solutions, the converting Dry Cleaners still experience substantial long term cost reductions due to lower utility use, less compliance cost and other factors.
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