Busy Bee Claners installs the latest Dry cleaning machine

"The new dry cleaning machine we have (the Italian-made Union S.p.a. HL850) uses the non-toxic EcoSolv dry-cleaning fluid instead of perc," says Busy Bee owner Ian Blackford.

"Not only is EcoSolv 100 per cent biodegradable, but it has no odour and is gentle on fabrics so it leaves clothes feeling soft and helps them last longer."

The dry cleaning industry has been looking for ways to reduce the use of "perc" because it is costly to get rid of (you needed a disposal company to come pick it up and discard it properly) and governments are craking down on toxic chemical use.

But the road to alternatives is not cheap.

The Union HL850 machine  cost $80,000 - twice as much as a traditional dry-cleaning machine.

However, Blackford sees it as a worthwhile investment because it's better for both clothes and the environment.

He feels better about it and so do his customers.

By the way, the HL850 is one of the stars of the show at the gian World Clean 03 conference being held in Las Vaga right now.

There are just five other HL850s in us in Western Canada - three in Vancouver and one each in Calgary and Edmonton.