Tools- of Changes

Disgust Sensitivity a Key Barrier to Reducing the Impact of Laundering

The authors argue that disgust sensitivity is a key barrier to changing laundering habits to reduce the environmental impacts of laundering. Accordingly, rather than focusing on environmental impacts, programs should work to extend the use frequency of clothes between washes by desensitizing feelings of disgust.

• The amount of laundry washed by European consumers has grown excessively for reasons that cannot be explained by demographics alone.
• Initiatives trying to curb this trend have repeatedly failed. Previous studies have largely overlooked the psychological dimensions of laundering behaviour.
• The authors conducted three separate studies to investigate how disgust, shame, cleanliness norms and environmental identity, mediated through a set of preceding behaviours, affect washing frequency.
• The results highlight how conflicting psychological goals between disgust sensitivity and pro-environmental identity can undermine willingness to change laundry behaviour.
• They argue that policies trying to enhance pro-environmental behaviour will inevitably force consumers to prioritize competing interests - in this case (deciding whether to wash or not) reducing emissions and risking social repercussions. They say that risking disgust and social repercussions is a higher priority for most people, blocking changes in laundry behaviour.
• Accordingly, efforts should be made to extend the use frequency of clothes between washes by desensitizing feelings of disgust.