The dry cleaning industry has caused concern in recent years due to the potential risks of percholoroethylene (or PERC), the chemical most commonly used to dry clean fabrics. But thanks to new technology, many dry cleaning businesses are becoming more eco-friendly — and there are several of them in Kitsap County.

Many of the environmentally conscious dry cleaners participate in EnviroStars, a five-county program that focuses on waste reduction and recognizes businesses for their green practices. Niels Nicolaisen with the Kitsap County Health District, who oversees the program in Kitsap County, said there was a big push about eight years ago in the industry to upgrade to better technology, so many dry cleaners joined EnviroStars at that time.

PERC was identified as a nationwide issue because it’s the standard dry cleaning solvent, and poses health risks including liver and kidney damage from long-term exposure. The chemical has also been identified as a probable human carcinogen and as a hazardous air and water pollutant (it can potentially contaminate groundwater and even drinking water and is known to be an animal and plant toxin).

The main focus of EnviroStars is on responsible waste management, so a dry cleaner doesn’t have to use a perc alternative to be certified. But many of them do — switching to wet cleaning, CO2, and hydrocarbon-based systems.

“Once they reduce as much waste as possible, they try to find other creative ways to be environmentally friendly, such as reducing energy use,” Nicolaisen said.

According to the program, there are 125 EnviroStars certified cleaners in the five-county area, and about a third of those are using a PERC alternative.

One of those using an alternative is Bremerton-based Fabricare.Teresa Mosey, one of three sisters who own the business, said they switched three years ago from PERC machines to ones that use hydrocarbon (which is biodegradable). They have been looking at ways to green their process for some time, and had already implemented other things like recycling. Buying the two hydrocarbon machines (at about $65,000 each) was a big investment, but Mosey said they wanted to do their part in protecting the environment.

“We’re trying to stay up and above where everyone else is,” she said.

Fabricare (www.fabricaredelivery.com), which has five stars, the highest EnviroStars rating, doesn’t stop with the organic cleaning. The business has an extensive recycling program for everything from paper to hangers and plastic bags, and is in the process of changing all the light bulbs to more efficient ones.

Mosey said being environmentally conscious helps the business keep up with many of its customers’ green trends, and notes that in some parts of the county, being green resonates strongly with customers. She also tries to educate consumers — for example, last year as part of her customer newsletters she had a series of articles about what people can do on their own to be green. “If everyone does one little thing, we can have the Earth that much cleaner,” she said. “Every year, we reevaluate to see what else we can do.”

Myong Kim, owner with his uncle, Young Kim, of Hi Tech Cleaners in Gig Harbor, said he is also seeing more demand from customers to be green. “We are in a community that’s sensitive to being ecologically friendly. It’s the way the customers lead,” he said.

Hi Tech Cleaners has five stars through the EnviroStars program managed by the Tacoma Pierce County Heath Department (TPCHD). The business switched to the latest technology available, with machines that have no emissions, Kim said. In addition, they use a hot-water heater that uses heat left over from the boiler when it makes steam (a heat exchanger), and they’ve already seen the return on investment from the exchanger.

Hi Tech, too, is always looking for new ways to be green. Within the last year, the business spent about $5,000 to change to more efficient light fixtures, and has a hanger recycling program. Over time, some of these environmentally friendly practices will actually result in cost-savings.

Troy Rowan with TPCHD, who overseas EnviroStars in Pierce County, said the program was created in King County in 1995, and has attracted four more counties since then. “The goal is to help small businesses manage chemical waste appropriately, and give them incentives and credit for their work,” he said.

A business, including a dry cleaner, has to apply for certification and be recertified every year. The program gives two to five stars, based on how many things the company is doing. “It’s a voluntary program,” Rowan said. “The higher the rating, the more they’re doing to be environmentally friendly.”

To earn five stars, the highest rating, a business must “demonstrate environment-related leadership among peers within the industry and/or the community, have a solid waste recycling program, and implement measures to save energy or protect natural resources such as air and water quality,” according to the program’s website.

For more information about EnviroStars or to locate a certified dry cleaner (or any other business in other available categories), go to www.envirostars.org.