Going Green
Certified Environmental Dry Cleaner
Reusable Bags
Are you frustrated by all the poly plastic that comes back with your dry cleaning? Is all that plastic taking over your closet! Victoria Cleaners is proud to be the first cleaner in the Des Moines area to introduce our Reusable Green Bag.
For a nominal fee, you can purchase a reusable bag to replace the poly plastic that normally covers your clean clothes. It’s environmentally friendly as well as convenient. The Reusable Green Bag can be used to bring dirty laundry into the store and becomes a garment cover to protect your clean clothes on the way out.
The Reusable Green Bag is laundered each time you bring it in and returned, covering your clothes. As many as six cleaned items will be placed in the bag. You may purchase as many Reusable Green Bags as you’d like. Items that don’t fit into the reusable bag will be covered with our biodegradable poly. You’ll receive the same bags back that you purchased.
Our Reusable Green Bag will reduce the amount of plastic in the landfill – and in your closet!
Biodegradable Poly
In a typical year, Victoria Cleaners uses over ten tons of poly plastic to protect laundered items. While traditional poly is still available if requested, in early 2010, we proudly began using a new biodegradable poly plastic. Utilizing EcoMax™ technology, these biodegradable poly plastic bags – once exposed to sunlight – degrade in about 15 months.
EcoMax™ biodegradable poly plastic complies with FDA regulations and has the same strength as regular poly but more importantly, it reduces the amount of plastic waste in landfills.
Our new biodegradable poly plastic bags as well as the traditional poly bags can be re-used in many ways.
- Use them as a trash can liner for light duty trash (be sure to tie a knot in the end).
- Use for picking up doggy doo-doo in your yard (definitely be sure to tie a knot in the end!)
- Use one for your “stinky” gym clothes after a workout at your gym.
- Bring one to the pool or beach for wet items.
- When packing for a trip, layer your plastic covered garments in your bag and then fold. By doing so, you’ll reduce friction and have fewer wrinkles. It also protects clothing from “exploding” toiletries!
- Wrap shoes or other soiled items before packing them with clean clothes.
Most local grocers provide recycle barrels to return plastic bags for recycling and dry cleaning bags are accepted. Recycled plastic bags can be made into dozens of useful new products such as low-maintenance fencing and decking, building and construction supplies, and new bags!
Recycling Hangers
Did you know that over 3.5 billion wire hangers end up in landfills each year? Victoria Cleaners encourages our customers to return their wire hangers to us to be reused.
All hangers returning in good condition are reused. For your convenience, free Hanger Holder boxes are available at each of our seven Des Moines area locations. Each holder holds up to 90 wire hangers and has a convenient handle for easy carrying. Simply return the full Hanger Holder and we’ll give you an empty Hanger Holder to take home.
Hangers that are not usable for clean clothes are recycled or picked up by a scrap metal dealer.
