NEWCASTLE - New research singles out the clothes hanger as the "plastic straw of the fashion industry" with nearly a billion used every year in the UK and many of them ending up in landfill.
The study, by Dr Alana James, of Northumbria University, and fashion consultant Emma Reed, says that 16 per cent of the 954 million plastic hangers used each year in Britain are used solely for transporting clothing from manufacturers to shops and then discarded.They anonymously surveyed a wide variety of UK fashion businesses, from luxury bands to high street retailers, including e-commerce operations.
Though it may seem like a pedestrian chore, doing the laundry has a bigger impact on the planet than you might think. Between 75 and 80 percent of our clothing's life cycle impact comes from washing and drying, because it takes so much energy to heat the wash water and run the dry cycle. So there's huge potential to reduce your personal energy and water use, and therefore your environmental footprint, by simply greening your laundry habits.
The average household does almost 400 loads of laundry each year, consuming about 13,500 gallons of water according to Energy Star. Switching to an Energy Star front-loading (or "horizontal-axis") machine can save as much as 7,000 gallons of water per year. Over the approximately 11-year life of a washer, that's enough to fill up three backyard swimming pools or provide a lifetime of drinking water for six people! An Energy Star-qualified clothes washer can also save you $370 in operating costs over its lifetime, compared to one that doesn't bare the label. Many new efficient washers can easily pay for themselves over the course of their useful lives. (Hint: If you purchased your washer before 1994, it's time to consider replacing it.)
By cutting the dryer out of the equation- – even if it's only part of the time – you'll save even more money. Your dryer checks in at number two on the list of household energy hogs (right after your fridge), costing the average household more than $96 per year in energy, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. So going with clothes line or drying rack can help you save on your utility bills-or eliminate the need for buying and maintaining an extra appliance altogether.
These examples are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to reducing the carbon footprint associated with our wardrobes. Making your laundry more eco-friendly has multiple benefits: It's better for your wallet, your wardrobe, and your planet. Everybody wins when you green your laundry,
