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Household

One washing machine load at 60°C

Yksi pyykkikoneellinen 60 °C:ssa

2.6
Truecost score
Data confidence: MEDIUM

Carbon from Pakula & Stamminger EU study. Water well-established. Toxicity is directional estimate.

One 60°C wash load produces ~0.58 kg CO₂e and uses 60 liters of water. Dropping to 30°C roughly halves the energy use and carbon footprint.

Did you know? If every European household switched from 60°C to 30°C washing, CO₂ emissions would drop by an estimated 3.5 million tonnes/year — more than some small EU countries emit.
Transparent calculation

How was this number determined?

The Truecost score is calculated from absolute physical values. Each row below shows the measured value, how it was normalized, and where it comes from.

Dimension Absolute value Score 100 = Normalized Weight Weighted Confidence
Carbon Emissions 0.58 kg CO₂e 9.5 kg CO₂e 6.11 ×0.35 2.14 MEDIUM
Water Consumption 60.0 liters 3840 liters 1.56 ×0.2 0.31 HIGH
Land Use 0.0 m²·year 51 m²·year 0.0 ×0.2 0.00 HIGH
Waste 0.005 kg 5 kg 0.1 ×0.15 0.01 MEDIUM
Toxicity 2.0 µDALY 162 µDALY 1.23 ×0.1 0.12 LOW
Truecost score (weighted sum) 2.6

Share of your annual planetary budget

Carbon Emissions 0.06%
Water Consumption 0.02%
Waste <0.01%
Toxicity 0.01%
Source data by dimension

Where do the absolute values come from?

Carbon Emissions
MEDIUM
Pakula & Stamminger (2010) analysis of 23 EU countries: 60°C cotton cycle produces ~580 g CO₂e on average. Energy: 0.764 kWh at 60°C (Stamminger 2023). At EU average grid intensity ~0.4 kg CO₂/kWh: 0.764 × 0.4 = 0.306 kg from electricity alone + detergent production + water heating = ~0.58 kg total. Co2everything: 2.4 kg CO₂e per wash+dry, but that includes tumble drying.
  • Pakula & Stamminger (2010): Electricity and water consumption for laundry washing by washing machine worldwide — Energy Efficiency 3
  • Stamminger et al. (2023): Toward sustainable household laundry — Environmental Health Research
  • EEA (2023): Greenhouse gas emission intensity of electricity generation in Europe

Range: 300-800 g CO₂e depending on machine efficiency, grid carbon intensity, and detergent. EU average used. Nordic countries much lower due to clean grid.

Water Consumption
HIGH
EU average: 60 liters per wash cycle (Pakula & Stamminger 2010). Modern efficient machines: 35-50L. Older machines: 80-100L. 60°C cotton cycle may use slightly more water than 30°C due to cooldown rinse.
  • Pakula & Stamminger (2010): Electricity and water consumption for laundry washing

Water use is roughly similar between temperature settings. Main variation is machine age and size.

Land Use
HIGH
No direct land use per wash cycle.

Not a relevant dimension.

Waste
MEDIUM
Detergent pod/container packaging: ~2g per wash. Microfiber shedding: up to 700,000 microfibers per synthetic load (Napper & Thompson 2016). Higher temperature increases fiber shedding. Total effective waste ~5g.
  • Napper & Thompson (2016): Release of synthetic microplastic fibres from domestic washing machines — Marine Pollution Bulletin 112

Microfiber pollution is a growing concern. Polyester/acrylic fabrics shed most. 60°C increases shedding vs. lower temperatures.

Toxicity
LOW
Laundry detergent contains surfactants (LAS), optical brighteners, phosphates, and fragrances. Surfactants toxic to aquatic organisms at low concentrations. 60°C activates more chemical release. Estimated 2.0 µDALY from aquatic ecotoxicity pathway (wastewater → water bodies → food chain).
  • Bajpai & Tyagi (2007): Environmental impacts of detergents — J. Cleaner Production
  • EU (2012): Regulation on detergent surfactant biodegradability — EC 648/2004

Toxicity is primarily aquatic ecotoxicity from detergent runoff, not direct human exposure. Hard to quantify per wash.

Comparisons

Methodology

Based on Pakula & Stamminger (2010) EU-wide laundry study and Stamminger et al. (2023). Covers electricity for water heating and motor, detergent production, water use, and wastewater treatment.

Sources