Drycleaning and Laundry Plants
Industry Overview
While not all dry cleaning and laundry facilities produce haz-
ardous waste, those facilities using hazardous solvents might be
subject to Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) re-
quirements covering the generation, transportation, and manage-
ment of hazardous waste.
The establishments covered under drydeaning and laundry
plants include:
• Retail drycleaning stores
• Industrial and linen supply plants with drycleaning
operations
• Leather and fur cleaning plants
• Self-service laundromats with drycleaning equipment
• Other establishments With drycleaning operations.
Hazardous Wastes from
Drydeaning and Laundry Plants
Potential hazardous wastes generated by drycleaning and laun-
dry plants are primarily solvents. These solvents include:
Perchloroethylene, otherwise known as perc,
PCE, or tetrachloroethylene
Valclene, also known as fluorocarbon 113 or
trichlorotrifluoroethane
Petroleum solvents, such as Stoddard, quick-dry,
low-odor, and other solvents.
Perchloroethylene plants potentially produce three types of haz-
ardous wastes:
Still residues from solvent distillation
(the entire weight)
Spent filter cartridges (total weight of the
cartridge and remaining solvent after draining)
Cooked powder residue (the total weight of
drained powder residues from diatomaceous or other
powder filter systems after heating to remove excess
solvent).
Valclene plants potentially produce two types of hazardous
wastes:
Still residues from solvent distillation
(the entire weight)
Spent filter cartridges (total weight of the
cartridge and remaining solvent after draining).
Petroleum solvent plants potentially produce only one type of
hazardous waste:
Still residues from solvent distillation
(the entire weight).
To determine whether your plant qualifies as a regulated gener-
ator and to complete the Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest, you
EPA/530-SW-90-027b
must determine the weight of the hazardous waste your plant gen-
erates. Table 1 lists common types and average quantities of haz-
ardous waste produced per 1,000 pounds of clothes cleaned.
If you generate 100 kilograms (220 pounds or about half of a
55-gallon drum) or more of hazardous waste per month, you must
fill out a Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest when you ship haz-
ardous waste off your property. The Manifest requires the proper
Department of Transportation (DOT) description for each waste.
DOT description information is provided in Table 2 to aid in
preparing the Manifest. Table 1 and Table 2 are not comprehen-
sive lists. If you suspect you generate other hazardous wastes,
contact your state hazardous waste agency or Regional EPA office
for more information.
Waste Minimization
An effective waste minimization program can reduce the costs,
liabilities, and regulatory burdens of hazardous waste manage-
ment, while potentially enhancing efficiency, product quality, and
community relations. Waste minimization techniques that can
help you reduce the amount of hazardous waste that you generate
include:
• Production planning and sequencing
• Process/equipment adjustment or modification
• Raw material substitution
• Loss prevention and housekeeping
• Waste segregation and separation
• Recycling.
Training and supervision of employees implementing waste
minimization techniques is an important part of your successful
program. Call the RCRA/Superfund Hotline toll-free at 800-424-
9346 (or TDD 800-553-7672 for the hearing-impaired) for waste
minimization information and publications.
Table 1
Typical Quantities of Hazardous Waste From Dry Cleaning
(Pounds of waste per 1,000 pounds of clothes cleaned)
Waste Type
Cleaning Method
PERC Valclene Petroleum Solvents
Average Quantity of Hazardous Waste (pounds)
Still Residues
25
10
20
Spent Cartridge Filters
Standard (carbon core)
Adsorptive (split)
Cooked Powder Residue
Drained Filter Muck
20
30
40
NA.
15
20
r*v
NA.
*
*
NA
*
Well-drained filter cartridges or drained filter muck are solids and are not
likely to meet the criteria for classification as ignitable solids; therefore,
they are usually not hazardous wastes. Be sure, however, that these wastes
do not fail the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure; if they do, they
are hazardous wastes.
Printed on recycled paper
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Table 2
Drycleaning and Laundry Plants Waste Descriptions1
Waste Type
Pcrc
Vaklenc
Petroleum Solvents
Hazardous Waste, NOS
Designations/Trade Names
DOT Shipping Name
Waste Perchloroethylene or Waste
Tetrachloroethylene
Hazardous Waste, NOS2
Waste Petroleum Distillate
Waste Petroleum Naphtha
Hazardous Waste, Liquid or Solid, NOS
Hazard Class
ORM-A
ORM-E
Combustible Liquid3
Combustible Liquid
ORM-E
UN/NA
ID Number
UNI 897
UN9189
UN1268
UN1255
NA9189
1 In certain situations, other DOT descriptions may be applicable to the wastes listed.
2 NOS • not otherwise specified.
3 If the flash point of the solvent or residue as disposed of is less than 100°F, the hazard class is "flammable liquid." Although the flash point of petroleum
dtyclcaning solvents is above 100°F, the presence of contaminants (such as printing inks) could lower the overall flash point to below 100°F.
For further information call the RCRA/Superfund Hotline 1-800-424-9346
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