People more concerned about doing their washing quickly than the environment.

[Starryskiesinthesky]

AIBU to think it is totally depressing that people arent willing to make even small changes to try and stop the environmental crisis that is here. For example, not wanting to use an eco programme on machines because it takes longer, not prepared to dry clothes outside rather than use a dryer, driving everywhere rather than walking. If people who could, made small changes, it would all add up and we might be able to halt some of the damage we are doing to the environment and childrens futures.

@QueenoftheKarens

What's the point? Until China, India and all the major smog cloud countries get on it. We are doomed!

I do my bit but I don't think encouraging people to do a eco cycle wash is going to have much effect.

Yeah but who's buying all the shit China are polluting the earth to produce? We are.

It’s sad that people are outraged at being ‘lectured’ as they call it and immediately jumped to whataboutery about China, India etc.

Our actions do make a difference around the world. China are now planning to ban plastic straws by the end of this year.

China will have noted that many countries around the world have either banned or are in the processing of banning many single use plastics (EU, Canada, etc).

Deciding we’re not going to do our bit because of other countries being worse is almost as bad as many Americans wanting climate change to happen to speed up the onset of Judgement Day.

We live in the UK where it rains at least 75% of the time so line drying isn’t always feasible. Babies and toddlers have a lot of washing, even more so if you help the environment by using reusable nappies and wipes as I do. It isn’t always practical to line dry when you need some things ASAP. I wouldn’t get through our washing without the tumble dryer.

@pelosi

It’s sad that people are outraged at being ‘lectured’ as they call it and immediately jumped to whataboutery about China, India etc.

Our actions do make a difference around the world. China are now planning to ban plastic straws by the end of this year.

China will have noted that many countries around the world have either banned or are in the processing of banning many single use plastics (EU, Canada, etc).

Deciding we’re not going to do our bit because of other countries being worse is almost as bad as many Americans wanting climate change to happen to speed up the onset of Judgement Day.

That's not helpful and I think the whataboutery is fair enough.

It needs to be global

I think you should take a look at China before fretting over eco programmes on washing machines.

I'm not saying we shouldn't bother at all, just because other nations are doing terribly but really, what you are suggesting is the tiniest drop in the biggest ocean. Try to get some perspective on this one

YANBU - it's time for everyone to look at ways they can help and it's not "sanctimonious" to say so. We are in a climate emergency for goodness sake, if you're defensive about your lifestyle then it's time to look at what you can do about it for the greater good. Thank you for this reminder OP, I am definitely guilty of the fast washing cycle and am going to change that now.

@woodhill

That's not helpful and I think the whataboutery is fair enough.

It needs to be global

What’s not helpful?

If the people campaigning against use of many SUPs like plastic straws and plastic bottles had listened to you saying it ‘needs to be global’, we wouldn’t have the ban starting today in the UK saving:

• 4.7 BILLION PLASTIC STRAWS
• 316 MILLION PLASTIC STIRRERS
• 1.8 BILLION PLASTIC COTTON BUDS

I bet you’re the type who moans that your McDonalds drink now has a plastic straw on it.

@Starryskiesinthesky

AIBU to think it is totally depressing that people arent willing to make even small changes to try and stop the environmental crisis that is here. For example, not wanting to use an eco programme on machines because it takes longer, not prepared to dry clothes outside rather than use a dryer, driving everywhere rather than walking. If people who could, made small changes, it would all add up and we might be able to halt some of the damage we are doing to the environment and childrens futures.

I always use Eco and have done for a few years. I think the problem is people don't understand the savings they make by doing Eco washing

@sst1234

Hey if you want to lecture, go ahead and lecture yourself. Before you do though, consider that UK accounts for less than 1% of global carbon emissions. Perhaps lecture the Chinese or American if you want actual results. If not, then you just want to virtue signal.

1% although low is still too much.

Little changes can make a difference, and there's no reason why anyone can't make at least one change

Yes definitely and what happens to the petrol cars. Huge mountains?

Anywhere between 75% and 95% of vehicles is recycled. The auto industry is head and shoulders above any of the others when it comes to recycling. Recycled vehicles produce 14 million tonnes of steel per year. That’s twice the amount of steel we produce in the U.K. That’s enough steel to build about 20,000 average sized office blocks.

UK accounts for less than 1% of global carbon emissions.

Does that include the goods we import? Because it seems a bit like outsourcing our global emissions if we buy stuff from China then complain about China’s emissions.

@DemocracyofHypocrisy

In England, we get roughly 4 days a year to dry clothes outside. That doesn’t leave much time for the eco settings, I’m afraid.

What a load of rubbish. I am in the UK and have dried clothes outside from march right up to 2 days ago. That's way more than 4 days

I live in a terraced back to back, I don’t have anywhere to put my clothes other than in the dryer.

I don’t like using a clothes horse as I don’t like the smell, the clothes would take too long to dry and would have that awful smell, I’m very sensitive to bad smells (make me gip) so I’d end up doing more damage to the environment by re-washing the clothes to make them smell nice again. Vicious circle.

I have one child and don’t drive. My dryer is my luxury. (:

If the people campaigning against use of many SUPs like plastic straws and plastic bottles had listened to you saying it ‘needs to be global’, we wouldn’t have the ban starting today in the UK saving:

- 4.7 BILLION PLASTIC STRAWS

Yay! We banned plastic straws and dealt with 0.025% of the plastic pollution problem. And yes, that is an actual figure.

yanbu
but changing is hard, it needs more political will and legislation.

What a load of rubbish. I am in the UK and have dried clothes outside from march right up to 2 days ago

It’s almost as if different parts of the U.K. have different amounts of rainfall. 🤦🏻‍♀️

@BoredZelda it's a cumulative effect, the EU, Canada, Kenya, Zimbabwe, New York etc are planning to do the same.

I'm as cynical as they come but the attitude here is beyond depressing.

The plastic ban in the UK will save 100,000 sea mammals each year. That should get a genuine yay, not a sarcastic one.

My dishwasher doesn't have an eco function because it's 20 years old and works perfectly well so I'm not changing it until it stops working.

My washing machine is only about 2 or 3 years old and doesn't have an eco function but then it is an eco model. I usually use the 20/30 minute programmes and line dry or dry on my pulley indoors when I can't. I live in Scotland, it rains a lot and yet I use my tumble dryer maybe a couple of times a year and that's usually just to finish off stuff like socks that haven't dried on the line and my pulley is also full.

I've not always had a pulley, but still managed to raise two kids without resorting to a tumble drier. Is it a pain having stuff hanging about your house and ventilating? Well yes but it's mostly possible for people to do even if they have no outside space. Definitely easier with outside space though.

I just couldn't take the bills of running a tumble drier.

My machine used more electricity on an eco wash but less water.

What do you want me to do? Use power or water?

Or shall I just take the basket to the stream and bash my clothes on a rock?

I really recommend the book Beneath The Sky We Make for people who feel like it’s all a bit hopeless, it’s written by a climate scientist and she doesn’t pull any punches about how bad things are, but she is still ultimately optimistic that we can turn things around

I’m not sure laundry is so big of a problem as you make out?

My son’s school require a clean uniform daily due to covid. Many children have a clean outfit daily as they spill food/get pen/paint/mud on themselves.
Underwear is always washed daily in most households, bedding and towels at least weekly. Work uniforms like scrubs need washing at 60, tea towels and rags at 60 or 90. You can’t do that hygenically on 30 with an eco egg! I guess we could use disposable cleaning wipes but that sort of defeats the purpose of re-usables.

Babies can go through multiple outfits and bedding a day when reflux or colic are an issue. Re-usable nappies need a strong detergent and hot cycle.

Re-usable sanitary towels, make up pads, face cloths etc need a hot wash with bio detergent.

I like to line dry; in summer when it’s dry and warm. Damp humid weather doesn’t dry anything. I dry on racks indoors with a dehumidifier and use the tumble drier for duvets and pillows (yes they do need washing as kids wet the bed sometimes)!

it's a cumulative effect, the EU, Canada, Kenya, Zimbabwe, New York etc are planning to do the same.

That 0.025% is the total amount of ocean plastic made up of straws. When I said “we solved” I meant the global effort. In other words, even if everywhere banned straws, only 0.025% of the problem is dealt with.

I'm as cynical as they come but the attitude here is beyond depressing.

Plenty of people are giving examples of what they are doing. Perhaps the “attitude” is coming because of people using the plastic starts example as it is as monumentally making a difference when it is the equivalent of pissing on a building fire.

The plastic ban in the UK will save 100,000 sea mammals each year. That should get a genuine yay, not a sarcastic one

Except that by focussing on straws and making it something companies (and individuals) can pat themselves on the back with whilst ignoring the actual problem of plastic waste they are contributing to. I’d rather a million sea creatures were saved by reducing the amount of real plastic waste than clap and cheer that we saved just a few of them. People say “it’s a start” but that assumes companies move on to the next issue to solve. But those are things they can’t easily force their customers to fix, and will cost them money they can’t recoup the costs of. McDonalds produce 1.5 million tonnes of waste annually. How much do you think that has reduced by getting rid of plastic straws in favour of non recyclable paper ones?

I’m all for reducing plastic, but focussing on straws give people a pass to say “job done” and the problem will still remain.

My son’s school require a clean uniform daily due to covid.

How can they possibly know if a child has a clean shirt every day? It beggars belief that any school would have this policy, let alone that they would be able to police it. And where does it end? Does it include trousers, jumpers, coats, blazers and ties? Because if not, whatever risk they believe is inherent, is not being mitigated unless they insist on an entire clean outfit every day.

And if you are following it, more fool you.

Pretty much the whole "eco" label is designed to make us think we're helping whilst giving us free license to carry on consuming as normal. The answer is not recycling, it's not using plastic, not buying plastic, it's building things to last, it's buying less, working nearer home, taking less holidays, etc.,

As with other posters I didn't feel judged by the original poster. S/he struck me as being thoroughly depressed by the inability of everyone in the world failing to step up. Now I know that we are but a tiny cog in a very big machine, but we can only do/affect what we can as individuals. I'm not going to be standing at the gate (of Heaven or Hell) lamenting that I didn't do enough. Personally I think that the tipping point has been exceeded and that we are due for another MEE. C'est la vie!