The O.F.A. - Ontario Fabricare Association

If your cleaner is a member of the Ontario Fabricare Association (OFA), you can be relatively sure they are also a Certified Environmental Dry Cleaner. The OFA requires that all of its members take part in the certification process.

The Ontario Fabricare Association and its members are proud of their commitment to environmental protection. Our organization works with federal and provincial levels of government to develop high standards for environmentally sound practices to protect our employees, our neighbourhoods, and ultimately, our planet. Our industry must adhere to the joint federal and provincial Environmental Rules and Regulations and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, as well as waste management and occupational health and safety legislation.

A Certified Environmental Cleaner (CED) has undergone intensive training in order to understand federal and provincial environmental regulations and put them into practice. CEDs must have their certification renewed every five years. In Ontario all dry cleaning facilities must have at least one trained and licensed CED on staff during their normal hours of operation. Enforcement of these regulations is handled by inspections through Environment Canada.

Caring For Your Garments At Home

Although leather and suede should always be cleaned by a professional, there are some things you can do at home to get the maximum life from your garments:

Wear a scarf to protect the collar area from perspiration and body oils.
If the garment gets wet, let it air dry away from direct heat.
Store suedes and leathers in a cool, ventilated area. Leather can dry out if exposed to dry heat or mildew, or if stored in a hot, humid environment.
Do not store leather or suede in plastic

A Certified Environmental Dry-Cleaner Knows

about safety, health and environmental rules and regulations;

how to properly handle solvents and wastes;

all of the rules and regulations governing the handling, storage and disposal of plant wastes;

how to maintain and operate all plant equipment safely and properly;

safety procedures for response to spills and emergencies;

the correct use of protective and monitoring equipment;

how to control solvent emissions;

prevention of water and soil contamination.

Why Is It Important And What Can You Do

Every business and every individual has a responsibility to ensure that we protect our natural resources and safeguard them for future generations. That means taking good care of our air, water and soil.

If not handled properly, some dry cleaning materials can pose a hazard to both the environment and to the individuals who work with them. A CED has the training necessary to dramatically reduce such hazards.

By re-certifying every five years a CED is able keep pace with changes in legislation. And, because they are attuned to environmental issues they are also likely to voluntarily introduce other environmentally-friendly initiatives like wire hanger, dry cleaning plastic and paper recycling.

We know that you share our concern for the environment. You can help encourage safe
environmental practices in the dry cleaning industry by:

Bringing your business only to a Certified Environmental Dry Cleaner. If you're not sure about your neighbourhood dry cleaner, check the OFA web site to see if they are listed at www.fabricare.org.

If not, you can use the web site to find a CED in your neighbourhood.

If you have reason to believe that a dry cleaner is not following environmental regulations, contact Environment Canada at (416) 739-4826 or visit their web site at www.ec.gc.ca

You can also contact the Ontario Ministry of the Environment at (416) 326-6700 or www.ene.gov.on.ca

OFA