6 washing tips to help make your wardrobe more eco-friendly: front loaders, fresh air, filters and forgo fast fashion
- Fashion has a reputation for a high environmental cost, from microfibres to the energy and water used to wash clothes and grow cotton
- You can do your bit to help by making your laundry process more efficient, using filters, and hanging out your clothes to dry, among other things
Buying less clothing is an important part of sustainability. Estimates from consulting firm McKinsey and the World Economic Forum suggest the number of garments made each year has at least doubled since 2000.
Changing the way you care for clothes can also be effective. Here are six tips for reducing the environmental impact of your favourite outfits.
1. Front load for a cheaper wash
The good news is washing machines are keeping up with the latest innovations in efficiency. Energy Star-certified machines use about 25 per cent less electricity than older models.
Consider swapping out a top-loader machine for a front-loading one. The latter consumes not only less electricity but also less water.
Top loaders rely on parts that twist and turn to keep clothes circulating, whereas front loaders take advantage of tub rotation and gravity. Front loaders use water more efficiently by spraying rather than soaking clothes.
Energy Star estimates there are about 59 million top loaders in the US. If they were replaced by front loaders, the savings would be roughly equivalent to the electricity used by 1.3 million homes annually, it says. It would also cut water use by 170 billion (643 billion litres).