It estimated that using a dishwasher could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from washing up by 72% compared to doing them by hand. One analysis in the US found that putting dirty crockery and utensils into a dishwasher uses less energy and less water than doing them by hand. Surprisingly, using a dishwashing machine more can help. But there are ways of reducing that footprint. While these figures date from 2009, they are thought to be a reliable indicator of the kind of emissions that come from different water-intensive activities in the home. (In a newer home, however, the shower is the water-use device with the highest emissions.) Keeping the kitchen tap running leads to approximately 157kg of CO2 being released per year while the dishwasher produces 142kg of CO2, the washing machine generates 118kg and the bath creates 103kg. Rather than large white-goods, the kitchen sink is actually the source of the most water-related carbon emissions in the home. In the majority of houses with a gas boiler in the UK, the main cause of emissions might surprise many households. Most modern homes tend to use one of two systems to heat their water – either a gas or an electric boiler. While using solar enegy to heat water can make a big dent in that, it is has high installation costs and is far from being available for everyone. “Hot water is one of the bigger energy-consuming issues in a household,” says Elizabeth Shove, a sociologist at Lancaster University who researches everyday energy use. In the US, about 19% of all energy delivered to households is used for heating water, while doing the laundry in each household in the country is estimated to release an average of 240kg of greenhouse gas emissions a year. About 17% of the emissions come from using dishwashers, and 11% from washing machines. The bulk of the emissions from household water use, comes from the energy needed to heat water in the home, about 46% if a gas boiler is used. The energy needed to move, treat, and use water in the US for both residential and commercial purposes produces nearly 290 million metric tonnes of CO2 annually – the equivalent of 5% of the nation’s overall carbon emissions.įor a standard new-build home in the UK, the energy used by utility companies to treat and pump water to domestic property is responsible for only about 10% of water-related CO2 emissions. It accounts for 6% of all carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the UK, while laundry alone accounts for 8% of all residential-sector CO2 emissions in the US. The power needed to run household appliances, and especially the energy required to heat up water, has a carbon footprint that’s largely invisible to householders. But domestic laundry has a surprisingly large carbon footprint. This kind of machine may be impractical for most homes. Though small, the gizmo can even accommodate duvet covers. “We re-use rinse water for the next wash if it is clean enough to do so,” explains Lambert. They then move the clothes to the right-hand tub – a spin dryer. First, they pour warm water into the left side, which runs up to 12 minutes on an agitating cycle. The couple use a portable twin tub washing machine, an electricity-powered device with two compartments that requires a bit more manual input than a typical modern washing machine. “So, certainly, the lifestyle does make you very conscious of how much water you use.”Ī good example is laundry. “It’s surprising how quickly you get through that,” says Lambert. The couple typically fill 40-litre water carriers at caravan sites, and roll them along the ground to their caravan. “You have to collect all the water yourself.” “The limit when you’re caravanning is the fact that you very rarely have water hooked up to the caravan,” explains Lambert, who worked in sales before she retired. At the moment, they’re in a village in the Italian Alps. After she and her husband were made redundant in their early 50s, they decided to rent out their house in the coastal town of Bournemouth, UK, and move into a caravan with their four dogs for much of the year. To be fair, Lambert’s whole lifestyle is on the unusual side. After all, a daily shower is more about cultural expectations than hygiene. “But I’m unapologetic for it because I think it’s fine,” she laughs. Jackie Lambert suspects that her habit of showering only every three days is unusual.
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