We’ve all accidentally thrown a sweater into the wash and pulled it out of the dryer shrunken down to a size that’s more suitable for our pup, right? What many of us haven’t done is think about what happens to that shrunken sweater, or our holey jeans and tees, after we throw them away. The fact is, the more often we wash our clothes, and how we wash our clothes, all contribute to the growing problem of textile waste.
The Chilean desert is home to the second largest garment graveyard in the world, the Atacama landfill. Approximately 39,000 tons of textile waste are discarded at Atacama each year and a whopping 21 billion tons end up in landfills across the globe annually. Add in the challenges of the fast-fashion industry, which endlessly pumps out clothes that are meant to be worn 10 times before they’re tossed, and the darker side of our fashion habits becomes clear.
This is exactly why Electrolux is innovating new tech so that we can all take better care of our clothes and help keep them out of the landfill. In addition to Electrolux’s advanced Swedish-designed home appliances, the brand is also helping to raise awareness about the importance of upgrading our routine laundry patterns. According to Vanessa Butani, VP of Group Sustainability at Electrolux, the most sustainable clothes are the ones we already own.
“We know from research that extending the life of our clothes by just nine months can reduce the carbon impact, the water impact, and the waste produced by 20 to 30 percent,” Butani said.
In addition to keeping fashion waste out of landfills, Butani is quick to point out that small changes to our laundry habits, like lowering wash temperatures and switching from powder to liquid detergent, could mean the equivalent of saving 110 pounds of carbon dioxide per appliance per year. Just imagine if these habits were adopted worldwide. Now stop imagining and learn how you can improve your outdated laundry routine the next time you throw in a load.
Turn down the heat
If you love your new hoodie, do it a favor and wash it in cool water instead of hot. It’ll get plenty clean and the cooler water will extend the life of all your clothes and keep them looking spankin’ new. No shrinkage here, baby!
Take a load off
Over-washing is a top contributor to our clothes wearing out faster than they should — and it’s also a big energy and water suck. If your shirt smells funky, try airing it out in the bathroom overnight before washing it. The steam from your shower will help freshen it up.
Go with the flow
Many powder detergents are abrasive and some contain bleach, which makes your black tees fade way too fast. Use a gentle liquid detergent instead and show your clothes some love. Bonus points for using a phosphate-free liquid detergent that won’t pollute our rivers.
Upgrade your machines
If your washer and dryer are old, clunky beasts, chances are they’re not giving your clothes the gentle touch. Electrolux is committed to making clothes last twice as long with half the environmental impact by 2030 and their innovative laundry technologies prove it. Tech like SteamCare that uses 96 percent less water and ColourCare that optimizes cold-water washes can make a big difference in the life span of your duds.
Show off your vintage style
One way to not contribute to fashion waste is to wear vintage clothes — or upcycled clothes. Electrolux has teamed up with Swedish upcycle designers Rave Review to create a fashion collection with a mission — giving new life to discarded clothes retrieved from the Atacama landfill. The result is the new Break the Pattern collection and it proves just how cool upcycled clothing can be.
Come clean
Now that you know what a big difference a few simple changes in the laundry room can make, check out the other things Electrolux is doing to help us all be a little kinder to our clothes and the planet. After all, your favorite hoodie looks so much better on you than it does sitting in a landfill somewhere.
Visit electrolux.com/breakthepattern to learn more about helpful laundry habits.
Topics Sustainability
