Twin Cities' Dry Cleaner Wins Award for Energy Upgrades
The Twin Cities’ original environmentally friendly dry cleaner, Clean’n’Press, has again raised industry standards by reducing its energy use by 30 percent. The company’s East Metro Clean’n’Press was recognized by the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR) with the Most Valuable Pollution Prevention (MVP2) award.
The conservation efforts at this West Saint Paul, Minn., location are applied at all of the company’s 31 metro locations.
Clean’n’Press is owned by Dan Klasen, a mechanical engineer who for years has implemented the latest pollution prevention practices. Fifteen years ago, Clean’n’Press was the first dry cleaner to use a water-based process to reduce the consumption of perchlorethylene.
Klasen’s current efforts include reducing the company’s carbon footprint and overall waste. With the help of University of Minnesota’s Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP), Riddler Plumbing, and Focus Electric, East Metro Clean’n’Press modified and upgraded equipment, began recycling programs and implemented heat exchange processes. These efforts lowered its environmental impact while realizing a total annual savings of $18,814, or 30 percent of energy costs.
This exemplifies the intent of the national MVP2 award, with recipients representing a broad range of backgrounds, including federal government agencies, academia, industries, non-profits and individuals. According to the NPPR, the winners collectively reduced pollution by nearly 8,829 tons/year, conserved more than 28 million kilowatts of energy, and reduced water consumption by 108 million gallons a year, while cutting costs by more than $6 million.
“We are thrilled to be included in the prestigious group of national MVP2 award recipients,” said Klasen. “This motivates us to discover the next breakthrough in environmentally friendly dry cleaning technology.”