Association of Wedding Gown Specialists Celebrates Ten Year Partnership with Carbonfund.org

Ten years ago, the folks at the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists (AWGS) asked Carbonfund.org to help calculate the carbon footprint of wedding gown cleaning and preservation.  The process included all carbon emissions sources, including client trips to and from a Certified Wedding Gown Specialist™, cleaning procedures, and the manufacture of the wedding chest. After that, AWGS doubled the number just to make sure all emissions were fully covered.

“More brides than ever are concerned about their carbon footprints,” notes Kermit Engh, president of AWGS, “and now brides can ensure the beauty of their wedding gowns and safeguard the planet’s future, too.”

Associated of Wedding Gown Specialists Zero  Carbon Program

AWGS donates to Carbonfund.org through its ZeroCarbon Program, and Carbonfund.org uses the donations to help fund reforestation and forest conservation projects worldwide. AWGS is the first in the industry to offer carbon-neutral wedding gown cleaning  and wedding gown preservation  and their MuseumCare™ ZeroCarbon™ preservations are unique.

This is just one of the many reasons why Shores is a member of AWGS.  “There are so many fantastic benefits from being a part of AWGS,” said Michael Rowe, General Manager of Shores, “but counteracting the carbon footprint we leave when we clean and preserve a wedding gown is my personal favorite.”

Where AWGS Makes an Impact

AWGS members focus on caring for wedding gowns and are represented in eight countries including the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.  Members offer the same specialized heir looming and restoration care for children’s clothing, quinceañera gowns, uniforms, table linens, doll clothes, and fine fabric of all types.

Some cleaning solvents are thought to be more friendly to the environment than others; however, any cleaning process, no matter what solvent is used, generates carbon emissions. Through the carbon offsets donation program with Carbonfund.org, AWGS is able to offset all estimated carbon emissions that result from the process of cleaning and preserving each wedding gown as well as christening gowns and other heirloom clothing.

To learn more about AWGS’s ZeroCarbon Program, visit this link or e-mail Michael at Michael@shorescleaners.com.