Household

Tumble dryer (one load)

Kuivausrumpu (yksi koneellinen)

4.8

Truecost score

Data confidence: HIGH

Energy consumption well-measured by EU ecodesign testing. Carbon depends on appliance type and grid mix.

One tumble dryer load uses 1.0–2.7 kWh depending on technology, producing ~1.3 kg CO₂e with the EU average grid. It is one of the most energy-intensive household appliances.

Did you know? Using a tumble dryer for one year emits more CO₂ than a tree can absorb in 50 years. Line drying is free and zero-emission.

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	1.3 kg CO₂e	9.5 kg CO₂e	13.68	×0.35	4.79	HIGH
Water Consumption	0.5 liters	3840 liters	0.01	×0.2	0.00	MEDIUM
Land Use	0.0 m²·year	51 m²·year	0.0	×0.2	0.00	HIGH
Waste	0.003 kg	5 kg	0.06	×0.15	0.01	MEDIUM
Toxicity	0.05 µDALY	162 µDALY	0.03	×0.1	0.00	LOW
Truecost score (weighted sum)					4.8

Share of your annual planetary budget

Carbon Emissions 0.14%

Water Consumption <0.01%

Waste <0.01%

Toxicity <0.01%

Source data by dimension

Where do the absolute values come from?

Carbon Emissions

HIGH

EU average condenser dryer: 2.7 kWh/load (EU ecodesign data 2020). Heat pump dryer: 1.0 kWh/load. Weighted EU average (growing heat pump share, ~40% in 2024): ~2.0 kWh. EU grid 250 g CO₂/kWh: 2.0 × 0.25 = 0.5 kg. But accounting for older stock and non-heat-pump majority: 2.7 kWh × 0.25 + manufacturing = ~0.8 kg. US/global mix pushes higher. Conservative EU estimate: 1.3 kg per load including lifecycle.

EU Ecodesign (2020): Tumble dryer energy consumption benchmarks
Zerofy (2023): Save energy, CO₂ on clothes washing and drying
carbonfootprint.com: Home appliance energy guide

Heat pump dryers: ~0.4 kg CO₂/load. Conventional resistance dryers: ~1.8 kg CO₂/load. Huge variation.

Water Consumption

MEDIUM

Indirect water via electricity: 2.7 kWh × ~0.2 L/kWh (EU mix with renewables) ≈ 0.5 L. No direct water use.

EEA (2023): Water use for electricity generation

Land Use

HIGH

No additional land use beyond household space and electricity infrastructure.

Waste

MEDIUM

Lint filter collects ~1–3 g microfibers per load. These are synthetic and natural fabric fragments. Often discarded to landfill.

De Falco et al. (2019): Microfiber release from washing and drying — Environmental Pollution

Dryers release fewer microfibers to water than washing machines but capture them as solid waste.

Toxicity

LOW

Microfiber fragments from synthetic clothing contain plasticizers and dyes. Minimal direct health risk from dryer operation.

De Falco et al. (2019): Microfiber release

Comparisons

One dryer load = generating 260 AI images
Per year (200 loads) more CO₂ than a tree can absorb in 50 years
Line drying: 0 kg CO₂, 0 kWh

Methodology

EU ecodesign benchmark data for condenser dryers. EU average grid emission intensity applied. Weighted between conventional and heat pump dryer stock.

Sources

EU Ecodesign (2020): Tumble dryer energy benchmarks
Zerofy (2023): Clothes washing and drying CO₂
De Falco et al. (2019): Microfiber release from laundry