Today is No Laundry Day – a day created by ecostore to make Kiwis think more sustainably about how we do our washing. We chat to ecostore CEO Pablo Kraus his top tip for helping make doing our laundry more sustainable.
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So much of being a good sustainable Kiwi is having a little list of actions to remember everyday: pack your keep cup, bring your reusable bags to the supermarket, put your teabags in the compost bin, not the rubbish bin (even though you have to remove the tags and sometimes that can feel like a step too far, but we do it for THE PLANET).
BUT. No Laundry Day is about NOT doing something in order to be sustainable, and isn’t that lovely. Created by ecostore, No Laundry Day is Friday 30 August and it’s encouraging Kiwis to skip the washing and save the planet.
“We started No Laundry Day last year as a social good initiative, setting people the challenge – or giving them permission – to skip laundry for a day,” says Pablo Kraus, CEO of ecostore. “It was really well received and got people thinking and talking, particularly about how much water is used in the simple act of laundry, and so we decided to bring it back again this year to keep the conversation going.”
It’s a significant amount of water New Zealand’s daily laundry habits consume – an estimated 107 million litres, enough to fill over 40 Olympic-size swimming pools.
So, that’s one great temporary move – job done for today! But what’s Pablo’s top tip for being more sustainable with your clothes washing?
Check the recommended dosage on the packaging!
It sounds so simple, but often people use more than they need, which isn’t economical. We’re all guilty of sometimes eyeballing how much liquid or powder we’re adding into a wash, and going off gut feel rather than a specific measurement.
(*Raises hand* as someone who makes it part of their personality to never read the instructions, I am guilty of this for sure).
Pablo points out that some products are highly concentrated and you’d be surprised how little you need for an effective wash, and if you’re over-estimating, you’re throwing product down the drain – literally. Speaking of drains – choose eco-friendly products that are greywater safe, so you can be confident that what does get used will be gentle on the plant.
“We understand that thinking about the environment can feel overwhelming, but small changes can lead to big impacts, especially when we’re all in the same waka, moving toward the same goal. No Laundry Day is our way of encouraging households to take a break from laundry for a day, while also reflecting on how mindful laundry habits can make a positive difference for the planet,” says ecostore CEO Pablo Kraus.
This year, No Laundry Day invites New Zealanders to consider not just what goes into a load of washing, but what it leaves behind—thousands of microfibres, many of which are microplastics.
As global awareness of microplastics and their environmental impact grows. so too does the research into how these tiny particles have ended up everywhere – from the highest mountaintops to the deepest ocean trenches.
(There are also more intimate places you can find microplastics, look for Capsule’s upcoming deep dive into the possible impact of microplastics in many tampons, coming soon).
Studies suggest that microfibres, often shed from synthetic fabrics, are among the most common microplastics in our environment. Every load of laundry can release hundreds of thousands of microfibres, which then enter our waterways.
Other easy ways to make your laundry chores more sustainable?
– waiting until you have a full load before starting a wash, rather than doing several small loads.
– using lower temperatures for regular washes and saving warmer settings for heavily soiled garments.
– wash clothes only when necessary, considering the care requirements for different fabrics, e.g. denim doesn’t need washed after every wear!
The most obvious way to reduce your environmental impact when it comes to doing laundry is by committing to doing one less load of washing per week – No Laundry Day is the perfect time to start!
“We see a big part of our purpose as education and supporting people to make more environmentally friendly choices – but we want to do that in a way that is encouraging, fun and – importantly – easy. No Laundry Day ticks all those boxes,” says Pablo.
