Each week around 840 million washing machines run in businesses and homes around the world. These washes use 19 billion cubic metres of water and create 62 million tonnes of CO2 emissions!
When wanting to live more sustainably it can be overwhelming to know where to begin. There are so many areas of your life to tackle and improve. But it doesn't have to be this complicated! It can be as simple as looking at how you do laundry and seeing where you can reduce your impact.
Here are our top three tips for reducing the impact of your laundry on the environment...
1) Reduce the temperature of your wash
One of the biggest contributors to the large carbon footprint of washing machines is the amount of energy they use to wash our clothes - largely because of the high temperatures most of us set our washing. In Europe, up to 60% of the emissions created by washing machines are from heating the water. Just switching your temperature from 40 degrees to 30 degrees can save up to 40% of energy usage.
There's a big misconception that washing clothes on a higher temperature makes them wash better. This is simply not true! Many modern laundry detergents work equally as well in hot and cold water so reducing the temperature of your wash, or even setting it to cold, can have a huge impact on your energy usage. This will also help protect your clothes as washing on a colder temperature will help them last longer - a win win!
2) Switch to a sustainable laundry detergent
In the US alone, 700 million plastic laundry bottles are thrown away each year. Many of these laundry products are full of nasty chemicals that stick to our clothes and pollute our waterways. Which is why switching to a plastic-free, natural detergent is an easy swap to make! One way you can do this is by switching to biodegradable laundry sheets. Not only are they better for the planet, but they also save space in your cupboards and are perfect for travelling with!
I recommend these laundry sheets from Earth Breeze. They're 100% plastic-free, biodegradable and not tested on animals. Their supply chain is also 100% carbon neutral and for every pack sold they donate another ten. An amazing company to support!
3) Skip the dryer
It always shocks me how many people still use a tumble dryer when the impact on the environment and our clothes is so big. Using a tumble dryer for one year uses more carbon than a tree can absorb in 50 years. Read that fact again. Ditching the tumble dryer is one of the easiest things you can do to live more eco.
Also, one of the best things you can do for your clothing is to let them air dry. Putting them through a hot tumble dryer only reduces the longevity of the material - meaning you'll have to buy new clothes more frequently.
If you don't have a garden to hang your clothes to dry in, then invest in a clothes horse to dry your clothes indoors. Or use the banisters and radiators in your house to lay your clothes out to dry on.
Hopefully these tips have shown you how simple it can be to make greeners, more environmentally friendly, choices when it comes to washing your clothes.
Find out more about what the different laundry symbols mean and how often you should actually wash your clothes in my previous blog post here.
Hi, thank you for reading the All Things Green blog! 💚
We share simple eco friendly tips to help you lead an imperfect sustainable lifestyle. We believe that "small steps are still steps" and that we can all have a positive impact on the planet - no matter how small.
Have a flick through our website to find out more about our story, take advantage of some exciting eco discounts or read our previous blog posts.
- Naomi x
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