Cover Story | Max Hoffman
THE ERIN BROCKOVICH OF DRY CLEANING By Claire Wright
Max Hoffman’s mission to eradicate PERC in the dry cleaning industry Despite being banned in France and in multiple states across the US, perchlorethylene, known as ‘PERC’, is still used at most dry cleaners across New Zealand. In the European countries where PERC is still used, there are stringent regulations controlling its use. Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavian countries recognise its toxicity and have strict regulations and sector agreements that were adopted 15 to 25 years ago, specifically focusing on the environment, with Belgium currently still undertaking an evaluation. The US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has banned all PERC machines from use in residential buildings and has issued a strong recommendation to ban PERC from being used in its entirety. Unfortunately, New Zealand is still behind the rest, with no ban and only minimal regulation. 12 | www.canterburytoday.co.nz
