STOCKHOLM, April 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Three years of
data in The Truth About Laundry report, shows 35 million households
have turned down wash temperatures for potential saving of nearly 1
million tons of CO2 equivalent emissions.
Today the results of the longest and largest study of its kind
into laundry behaviors across Europe have been published by leading global
appliance company Electrolux Group. The study reveals long
established behaviors are changing at pace, in favor of the
environment, as consumers seek to save energy costs:
- 35m European households have
turned to washing at 30°C since 2020; over 14m of which have switched in the past 12
months.
- The turn to 30°C is likely to have saved over 952,000 tons of
CO2 equivalent*.
- 44% of households are now mainly washing their clothes at 30°C
or below, compared to 35% three years ago.
- Majority of Europe will be
30°C laundry zone by 2025 if trend continues.
- 86% of all households have tried to reduce energy usage in the
past twelve months and over half (56%) have specifically changed
the way they launder.
Current energy crisis is accelerating change
While the study shows habits have been changing for the good of the
planet over the past few years, it is the current energy crisis
that is helping to accelerate change. These changes include 43% now
washing full loads more, 31% wearing clothes more often between
washes, 29% laundering more at night and 30% now using
Eco-settings. Many of them for the first time.
Concerns over energy it seems is never too far from the
consumer's mind with 83% of adults thinking more about the energy
they are consuming when using appliances than ever before. 58% also
say that 'energy efficiency' will be a key consideration when they
buy their next appliance.
"The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) concluded that urgent climate action can secure a
livable future for all but that the window for positive action is
closing fast," comments Sarah
Schaefer, VP Sustainability Europe, Electrolux Group. "Our
latest research, which has reviewed data from the past three years,
shows consumers are changing their behaviors positively, which
should give everyone hope that together we can help tackle climate
change. But a lot more is needed from us all if we are to
succeed."
Five steps to change
Electrolux Group is recommending five small steps everyone can
take which, together, can make a big difference to the planet:
- Make 30°C the new 40°C. As often as possible. 52% of
Europe is still mainly washing at
40°C and above.
- Pick more energy efficient appliances. They reduce
energy usage and are more resource efficient which can be kinder to
the planet. They can also help to reduce household energy costs
over time.
- Skip a wash, refresh instead. 62% of Europeans say
"getting rid of odors" is the main reason they wash their clothes
and nearly a quarter of adults (23%) have also consistently
reported the main reason they wash clothes is because they like to
wear freshly laundered clothes. New technology though means
consumers can refresh clothes by steaming them and also tackle
odors by automatically adding a fragrance to the wash. Other great
benefits of steam, of course, are it saves water compared to a full
wash and, for those short on time, it reduces wrinkles and the need
to iron.
- Unlock appliance potential. One effortless way
consumers can look to reduce costs and lessen environmental impact
is by exploring the settings on their appliances more. 22% of
adults have reported never reading their appliance's instructions
and the average number of settings people use is 3. It means there
are a lot of technological advancements not being taken advantage
of.
- Start small, wash full. 43% of Europeans are now
washing full loads more often due to concerns over energy costs.
Checking your load is full before washing it is a small and fairly
easy step to take which can reduce the use of resources and
costs.
"The positive changes we are witnessing in laundry are many,"
continues Schaefer. "Millions of people across Europe making small changes which are adding
up to big differences. That's the journey we are on and the more
people who join, the better chance we have for creating the
liveable future we all want."
*Calculation is based upon: total number of households which
have turned to 30°C from 40°C in Europe since 2020 is 35,015,308 (i.e. 10% of
350,153,081, the total number of households) multiplied by an
annual CO2-eq saving of up to 27.2kg per household per year,
divided by 1000, to arrive at 952,416 tons of CO2-eq likely to have
been saved. A household saving up to 27.2kg of CO2-eq per
year from turning down the wash temperature from 40°C to 30°C, is
based upon decreasing washing temperature from Cotton 40°C cycle to
Cotton 30°C cycle, using powder detergent, 8Kg FL WM delivers ~ 25%
less impact on Global Warming Potential (GWP) of use phase. In real
terms it reduces CO2 equivalent from 1436Kg CO2-eq to 1164 Kg
CO2-eq over ten years or up to 27.2Kg of CO2-eq every year per
household, based on one household having an average of one washing
machine. Click here for more information: Electrolux The Truth
About Laundry 2021.
The Truth About Laundry report
The Truth About Laundry, the Resource Efficiency Edition
2023 is the third consecutive study by leading global
appliance company, Electrolux Group. Each year it studies the
responses from up to 14,000 adults across Europe as well as analyzing 1.4m actual wash cycle data collected from its
connected appliances. In 2020, it shared insights into
laundry behavior during the pandemic and published new scientific
research which pinpointed the CO2 equivalent saving from turning
wash temperature down from 30°C to 40°C. In 2021 it continued to
monitor key behaviors while also sharing insights into consumer
understanding of microplastics in clothes and what can be done to
reduce their release into the planet's waterways.
About the most recent research
The research findings are based on quantitative data collected
from 14,000 adults across fourteen European markets. OnePoll, a
survey-led market research company, managed the research in
collaboration with Electrolux Group and its partners. The survey
was fielded between 20th December
2022 to 16th January 2023 with data collected from the
general population in the following countries: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the
Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and, the UK.
The data were weighted for each country to ensure accurate
representation by age, marital status, income/social class,
ethnicity, and region. For a statistic of 50% the margin of error
for sampling on a sample of 1,000 respondents is ±3.1%. For smaller
or larger statistics, the margin of error will decrease and falls
to 1.9% for a statistic of 10% or 90%. This is based on all
countries having 1,000 respondents per market. This margin of error
is small making the data highly reliable.
For further information, please contact Electrolux Press
Hotline, +46 8 657 65 07.
The following files are available for download:
https://mb.cision.com/Main/1853/3758170/2012077.pdf
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PR_The Truth About
Laundry 2023_Electrolux Group
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https://news.cision.com/electrolux-group/i/infographic-truth-about-laundry,c3171065
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Infographic Truth About
Laundry
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https://news.cision.com/electrolux-group/i/sarah-schaefer--vp-sustainability-europe--electrolux-group,c3171072
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Sarah Schaefer, VP
Sustainability Europe, Electrolux Group
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