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Can household appliances contribute to sustainability goals ?
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Maintaining the longevity of our planet through sustainable practices can start with household appliances. While policy makers are advancing global goals COP28’s commitment to Net Zero 2050, individuals can make strides at home. Household appliances and how we use them has a greater impact on our environment than we might think. As Climate Change raises global temperatures, alters rainfall, and sparks natural disasters such as increased forest fires and flooding, determining eco-friendly practices that are sustainable for the long term becomes crucial. Individuals looking to move the needle can begin by choosing more efficient household appliances and integrating sustainable practices at home for a greener tomorrow. Let’s take a look at how household appliances impact the environment, what goes into manufacturing more sustainable options, and small shifts we can make in the way we use our household appliances to contribute to a greener tomorrow.
👉 In this article, we’ll discuss how household appliances affect the environment, the main challenges in manufacturing more sustainable products, and examine actions we can take on an individual level to support the health of our planet.
How do household appliances affect the environment?
Household appliances can affect the environment, considering their entire lifecycle. Let’s consider that the average number of appliances per household totals about 10.6 for single households, 13.8 for dual occupancy, and as many as 17.5 appliances for homes of 6 or more people. In the United States alone, 576.8 million household appliances were sold in 2020. How we select and use these products can make a significant difference!
From manufacturing to their eventual disposal, the lifecycle of these products can affect the environment. To begin with the basics, household appliances use energy. The energy consumption of older models tends to be higher, contributing to greater levels of greenhouse gas emissions on a large scale, based on the increased electricity they consume. While disposing of all old appliances isn’t automatically the way to go, refrigerators over 10 years old can be responsible for a whopping 50% of a household’s electricity usage. Similarly, older household appliances that use water, such as dishwashers and washing machines, will use substantially higher amounts of water than newer models that are built with environmental impact in mind.
Thinking about sustainability is key from the design inception to its manufacture. Manufacturing household appliances involves mining raw materials and transforming them into the eventual end product, often using significant electricity and sometimes releasing pollutants. Electronic items, for example, often require precious metals and extracting these materials often have a critical environmental impact. Even if an appliance is designed with low energy use in mind, if it is not manufactured in an eco-friendly manner, these products are still responsible for contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and resource depletion.
👉 Household appliances are key due to their sheet numbers. Thinking about how much energy they consume while in use, as well as how they are manufactured, is key if we want to use these products sustainably.
How does consumer behavior impact sustainability?
When it comes to household appliances, sustainable practices start at home. How consumers select the products they integrate into their homes is pivotal. As consumers increasingly privilege sustainable products, they begin to put pressure on manufacturers via flexing their purchasing power. Similarly, elongating a product’s lifespan can help enhance its sustainability. Repairing household appliances to prolong their lifespan reduces waste. Rather than replacing products annually, making your initial purchase last can help contribute to lower emissions on a large scale.
Once the item is in your home, the fun doesn’t stop! How individuals use household appliances has a large impact on their overall sustainability. For example, choosing to fill washing machines and dishwashers to capacity before running them will make an impact. For example, when polled in Germany, only 63% of consumers regularly fill washers before use and only 60% choose eco-settings. Think about what could change if 100% of consumers made these choices. These appliances use significant amounts of water, making it imperative to consider whether there is a way to make their use more efficient. Lastly, when it’s time to dispose of old household appliances, consumers are tasked with doing so responsibly. Improper disposal can contribute to heavy metals leaching into the soil as well as clogging landfills.
👉 Consumer behavior can impact the overall sustainability of household appliances. Choosing sustainable products can leverage purchasing power to make industry-wide shifts, while behaviors at home can optimize an appliance’s impact.
How can individuals use appliances more sustainably?
Optimizing how we use our household appliances is key. Start by educating your household about your energy use. Implementing the use of smart monitors to set goals and maintain baseline energy use can be a great way to start centering the health of our environment at home. Not only will you be able to lower energy and water consumption, but you’ll also reap the reward of saving money on utilities in the process!
Simple steps like running dishwashers and washing machines only when they’re full are easy ways to limit your environmental impact at home. Similarly, choosing cold water settings rather than warm water settings when doing laundry can extend the life of your garments and lower your electricity use. Whenever possible, avoid pre-rinsing dishes before placing them in the dishwasher to conserve water. If possible, opt to air dry laundry using a clothesline or drying rack instead of using dryers.
Keeping fridge and freezer doors closed will contribute to increased energy efficiency—even if you’re not ready to upgrade your current appliances. If you do have updated appliances, be sure to take advantage of any eco-modes available, as they can help save energy. Setting the temperature of your refrigerator between 35-38°F and the freezer at 0°F will maintain optimal energy use without inconveniencing the user.
Unplugging devices is another easy way to reduce the energy consumption of your household appliances. While unplugging dishwashers, refrigerators, electric alarm clocks, and washing machines might be out of the question, unplugging items like electric kettles, fans, and microwaves when they aren't in use can reduce the amount of energy expended in your household.
👉 Individuals can have a huge impact on the sustainability of the household appliances by making small changes to their use.
What are some of the most sustainable appliances on the market?
While products vary depending on your region and needs, here are some of the most sustainable household appliances on the market at the moment. When looking to upgrade your appliances, looking for ENERGY STAR certifications (backed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) can help guide consumers to make a sustainable choice. How do your current appliances stack up? If your appliances are over ten years old, it may be time for a sustainable upgrade.
Refrigerators
Café™ 28.7 Cu. Ft. Platinum Glass French Door Refrigerator - This fridge from Café Appliances includes Wi-Fi connectivity in order to optimize energy consumption and temperature control. Similarly, door alarms alert users if doors are left open or aren’t properly closed to prevent cold air leakage.
Frigidaire Gallery® 21.5 Cu. Ft. French Door Refrigerator- Frigidaire Gallery’s French Door Refrigerator includes automatically closing doors, as well as an OpenAccess™ Door to help you grab and go without opening both doors at once to cut energy loss.
Clothes Washers and Dryers
Beko washing machines with EnergySpin technology - These new household appliances use drum speeds instead of heat, dissolving detergent with up to 35% less energy consumption per use.
GE® 7.8 Cu. Ft. Sapphire Blue Smart Front Load Electric Dryer - This dryer from General Electric offers an Eco Dry option. Additionally, the unit includes sensors to prevent overdrying, reducing the amount of energy used to dry clothes as well as protecting garments.
Maytag® 7.4 Cu. Ft. White Front Load Electric Dryer - Maytag’s front load dryer includes internal sensors to measure moisture levels for optimal efficiency, allowing users to end a drying cycle early if their garments are already dry.
Miele Aerium Laundry Cabinet - This new product refreshes lightly worn garments, preventing unnecessary washes or dry cleaning. By cutting down on how often we clean our clothes (within reason, of course), we can help support the planet while wearing our favorite outfits on repeat.
Dishwashers
Miele G7460 SCVi Integrated Dishwasher - One of the most energy-efficient dishwashers on the market, this unit from Miele has an impressive average energy consumption of 0.94 kWh per cycle.
Bosch 300 Series Top-Control Dishwasher - Bosch’s 300 series applies technological precision to optimize water use, as well as Wi-Fi home-connect technology to help consumers select the best settings and cycles for their needs.
👉 There are a number of new household appliances putting sustainability front and center. If you’re looking to upgrade an old model, shop sustainably and look for an ENERGY STAR certification.
How can Greenly help?
Greenly advocates tackling climate change from multiple angles for a greener tomorrow. Like emphasizing sustainability at home by changing how we interact with household appliances, companies can make small shifts that add up to a startling impact. With Greenly, companies can lower their carbon footprint by accessing data and a customized action plan. Request a free demo with a member of our expert team to learn more about how to get started on your journey to help fight climate change.
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