A matter of choice

The debate about solvents has been going on for several years, certainly ever since I joined LCN five years ago, this month.

At that time, as far as the UK was concerned, perc was dominant, with perhaps a (small) handful of hydrocarbon machines around. Other solvents were talked of, but not highly visible.

Perc is still the most widely used solvent in the UK, but the slant on the arguments is changing.

The alternatives have been further developed and some are now playing with a stronger hand.

The debate has been influenced by events round the world as other countries attempted, not always wholly successfully, to tighten the regulations.

The emphasis now seems to be on choice. Machine suppliers now talk of dual or multi- solvent machines, rather than hydrocarbon.

The GreenEarth case for the UK has been very much strengthened by the involvement of Johnson Cleaners.

The company undertook extensive trials, then started to introduce it in some of its unit shops before announcing last year that it intended to roll-out the GreenEarth process to all it shops (then around 500) within the next two years.

Seeing the leading cleaner move away from perc, others may start to feel that they should look more closely at alternatives.

Indeed, as Jim Barry, chairman of GreenEarth Cleaning explained to LCN at the launch, the involvement of such a prominent player with the process will have beneficial draft effect on independents which adopt it.

There is a snag, however. The GreenEarth system is patented - to use it UK cleaners must pay a licence fee.

So although Alex Reid, now master licensor for the UK and Ireland, has strong arguments it also had obstacles to overcome.

For the launch, the company had not only brought in Jim Barry, but also consultant Richard Neale.

The company was also clearly aware of nervousness caused by the perceived connection between Alex Reid and Johnson Cleaners, now both part of the Johnson Service Group.

But these are professional companies, so LCN has no doubt reassurances should be accepted.

Inevitably perhaps, the launch was something of a hard sell. Though trying hard not to knock perc, there were comparisons which might have been better avoided.

GreenEarth has many strengths, technical, environmental and commercial.

These were clearly laid out and cleaners should be aware of these and always be open to options. But the emphasis on choice must always remain.