In 2024, laundering clothes was responsible for an all-time high of greenhouse gas emissions, and 16% to 35% of microplastics generated worldwide. While washing machines were more energy efficient than before, people were washing more laundry. And programs promoting environmentally-friendly clothes washing had had little effect.
This research found that having a higher sensitivity to disgust is associated with doing laundry more often; and that a fear of evoking disgust in others (which relates to shame) is a strong social driving force. "We argue that people are confronted with an implicit dilemma when deciding whether to wash or not: reducing emissions but risking social repercussions. Since the latter take priority for the general consumer, it comes as no surprise that previous interventions have been unsuccessful in steering behaviour."
Policy Recommendations.
- Treat lower emissions as a beneficial by-product rather than the main objective.
- Focus on behaviours that create a need to wash rather than those involved with washing clothes. In other words, promote using clothes more often between washes by desensitizing feelings of disgust.
The findings are based on two online surveys in Sweden (N=1,000 for each) and online focus groups with 40 people in all. |
