Energy First and foremost, to power a washing machine, electricity is required. Electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels, which release harmful greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Up to 440kg of carbon dioxide is produced each year per household from washing and drying a load of washing every two days. These vast quantities of carbon dioxide negatively impact the environment and provoke climate change. Also, when washing clothes, around 90% of the energy goes into heating up the water. Switching to cold water washes will significantly reduce energy consumption and is just as effective at removing stubborn stains. Moreover, leaving clothing to dry naturally, rather than in a dryer, will save a lot of energy and is in fact much gentler on your clothes, prolonging its life and wear. Plastic Pollution Most of the clothing we own and purchase today is made from synthetic fibres such as polyester, nylon and acrylic, all of which cause significant environmental problems. By washing our clothes in a washing machine, we contribute to plastic pollution because thousands of these synthetic fibres are shed during each wash, and consequently end up contaminating our waterways. Once in our waterways, they put our marine ecosystems at risk as they are mistaken for food by marine life. In certain parts of the world, the plastic fibres have also contaminated tap water, resulting in many of us unknowingly consuming plastic. The first step to reducing plastic pollution would be to stop buying plastic in the first place. However, spinning clothes at a lower speed and washing at a lower temperature will reduce the chance of the fibre loosening. Doing a full load of washing helps keep fibres intact as it reduces friction. Installing a lint filter in the washing machine can also help, as it traps the fibres before they have a chance to run through the pipe and enter the waterways. Detergents With clever marketing and advertisements, detergent companies have led us to believe that we should be washing our clothes after every wear. But over-washing is not good for the clothing fabric or the environment. Not only does doing the laundry use water and electricity, it also requires the use of detergents, which are often made up of harmful chemicals. Most detergents contain Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS), optical brighteners and synthetically produced fragrances, all of which are harmful toxins. They are also the most common causes of allergies and skin irritants, such as eczema. Therefore, it is essential to buy eco-friendly detergents and natural soaps, that do not contain the nasty, harsh chemicals found in mainstream detergents. They are much safer for the skin and better for the environment, and can be found in most large supermarkets. Some great brands to look out for are Ecover and Ecostore. Both companies create detergents from plant-based and mineral ingredients, free of optical brighteners, chemical fragrances and phosphates. Ecover’s packaging is also completely biodegradable, whereas Ecostore’s is made from sugar canes and is 100% recyclable.
Using clean detergents is one way to make machine-washing more environmentally friendly, but it does not necessarily solve the problem of over-washing. What if there were clothes that did not need to be washed so often? Pangaia incorporate innovation and technology into their designs and products. They use seaweed fibre, peppermint oil and natural plant derived dyes to produce their sustainable clothing. Their Seaweed fiber t-shirt saves up to 3000 litres of water, because it does not need to be washed as much as a regular t-shirt would. This is due to the natural peppermint oil that it is treated with, which helps keep the t-shirt fresher for longer. Although the washing machine has greatly simplified the running of households for decades, it does have several negative impacts on the environment. With this being said, there are a number of ways we can reduce these impacts. Simply cutting down on the number of washes per week would save many kilograms of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere. Switching to an eco-friendlier detergent and installing a lint filter would reduce the harmful chemicals and plastic fibres being released into the waterways, thus protecting our marine life. These changes are not drastic, but if every household adopted at least one change, the amount of energy consumed, carbon dioxide released and waterways contaminated would drop significantly, and ultimately help save the environment. Learn about 5 Brands Removing Synthetic Fibers From Shelves here