How eco-friendly is washing the dishes?

We all try to do our bit for the good of the environment, but it can be difficult to know what techniques are best when it comes to saving energy and cutting down on waste in general. This is especially true when it comes to everyday household chores, particularly when we’ve become accustomed to doing a certain task in one set way for many years.

Photo: jblyberg

Take dishwashing, for example. We may have always used the dishwasher to wash dishes, simply due to its convenience, but is this the best option for green living? Are integrated dishwashers less or more energy friendly? There really are so many questions to take into consideration.

The first assumption that many eco-friendly people make when they think about using a dishwasher is that it may save time, but it certainly doesn’t help to save the environment.

However, a study conducted by a German university a few years ago actually revealed a surprising statistic. The study, conducted by the University of Bonn, found that dishwashers can use around half the energy and one-sixth of the water that a standard hand dishwashing session results in. With this rule apparently applying even to the most uneconomical of dishwashers in comparison to the stingiest of hand dishwashers, the news will surely come as a relief to those who can’t stand the thought of standing by the sink for hours after cooking a tasty dinner.

If you are looking at buying a dishwasher in the near future, make sure you look for the EST’s Energy Efficiency Recommended logo or the EU energy label. This will not only save you money but will also ensure that you’re protecting the environment from the unwanted effects of using a machine as much as possible. Eco tablets are also a good investment; they may be a little more expensive than economy dishwasher tablets but they do the job just as well and entail a far reduced pollution risk.

Related posts:

1. Environmentally Friendly Products Environmentally friendly, eco-friendly, green and nature friendly is a term…
2. Environmentally Friendly Green Roof Whether you are thinking about home roofing or commercial roofing,…
3. Re-Roofing With Eco Friendly Product When you think about change to metal roofing you also…

Read more at Green Living Home