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.

Can’t imagine not giving him a clean vest, underpants, shirt, jumper, tie, trousers and socks each day. I have 5 of each.

Really????!!!

bloody hell.
clean underpants socks and shirts - fine.

clean trousers, tie (TIE???) and jumper every day completely unecessary and overkill.

Good grief. But then I expect you only ever wear your jeans once and then stick them in the wash.

I have never used the Eco setting on my washing machine. Before this thread, I had no idea what it was. I use my washing machine about 3 or 4 times a fortnight, tops.

@FateHasRedesignedMost

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.

Of course they can’t police it, but it makes sense to send them in freshly laundered clothes? Even without covid kids get muddy knees, spill soup or sauce on their jumper/tie/shirt. They get sweaty in the playground. He’s only year 1 so doesn’t have a blazer.

Can’t imagine not giving him a clean vest, underpants, shirt, jumper, tie, trousers and socks each day. I have 5 of each. Maybe the rule is to stop parents sending them in wearing the same grubby clothes as the day before?

Clean clothes are like having clean teeth and washing your face in the morning. Taking regular baths/showers. Perhaps we should shower and attend to hygiene less as it uses water, soap and toothpaste?

Coats and shoes are outdoor wear, so not included in the policy. He has 3 coats in case one gets wet, muddy or needs mending. 2 pairs of shoes in case one gets wet.

The dc don't really need clean jumpers and trousers unless they have spilt something on it imo

Thanks everyone for your comments. Maybe the washing machine one was a bad example but it was because there was a thread about that that made me think!

I don't mean to be sanctimonious, as I said, I know I'm not perfect!

Well i don't notice much less electric used when i use my eco wash, so im not convinced and I don't have nearly 4 hrs tome to wait for a wash .
I use outside line and airer but also the tumble dryer
I only have 2 children though , walk when can , recycle etc so do what I can and thats all we can all do.

I do my bit, more than some, not as much as others.

I use about one tank of petrol a month, I haven't been on a plane for a decade. I have made a huge effort to reduce single use plastic. I buy clothes very rarely.

Sometimes I use the tumble drier or drive a journey I could have walked if only I had more time/was better organised. I use a hotter wash than "necessary" because actually I find for DS's sweaty armpits it is necessary.

clean trousers, tie (TIE???) and jumper every day completely unecessary and overkill. Good grief. But then I expect you only ever wear your jeans once and then stick them in the wash

I don’t wear jeans but I do wash leggings/jeggings if I’ve had them on all day. A quick cycle on 30. But then I have enough pairs to save them up for a full wash once a week!

I wouldn’t say it’s overkill to put a 6 year old in clean school clothes each day. His trousers are usually muddy after school. Year 1 children tend to splash paint, get food/sauce on themselves at lunchtime (shirts, ties, jumpers etc). In addition to break times he normally has a good hour running and climbing in the adventure playground on the way home, so he’s often sweaty from exercise and grubby from falling over/going down slides, climbing nets etc. A set of fresh clothes each day seems common sense to me, just like having a wash or a bath/shower.

If I’ve been wearing the same clothes out all day, running around, sitting on grass, mixing with other people and pets, my clothes go into the laundry basket when I get home. I have loungewear for home (the whole family change into ‘indoor’ clothes when we get in, it’s as second nature to me as it is to take my shoes off).

@iggly the usa isn't ? They all drive huge engine cars , we are a small island we alone can not make a difference
Why do people like you always try and make out just the uk that but from these countries
Its a global issue
I live in a county where over 95% off recycling stays within the uk so many are making progress as new plants are processed , also all non recycle able stays in uk

@sst1234 exactly ,

Well I don't even have a driving license so is it ok with you if i wash my clothes however works best for me and my family so the stupid small flat i live in doesn't get even more damp and mouldy?

Make the sacrifices you want to make and leave others to make their own choices. I'm tired of being told I should feel guilty. I don't and I won't.

I haven't had children (not that my choice was motivated by environmental concerns), would be happy to never fly again (and flew only rarely in my youth), try to save electricity where I can (more to save money than anything else), use things until they wear out, wear clothes until they practically fall apart, keep cars as long as possible rather than upgrading to a new one, and don't buy new furniture just because I'd fancy a change. Where I live, walking and public transport is not an option. I refuse to feel bad about driving a car or using my washer and tumble dryer as and how I please.

[quote worriedatthemoment]@iggly the usa isn't ? They all drive huge engine cars , we are a small island we alone can not make a difference
Why do people like you always try and make out just the uk that but from these countries
Its a global issue
I live in a county where over 95% off recycling stays within the uk so many are making progress as new plants are processed , also all non recycle able stays in uk[/quote]
What are you on about?

I said a lot of those countries are making stuff for us. The clothes we wear, the phones we use, the toys for our kids. They aren’t made in the UK.

And I didn’t say it was only the UK. I am making the same point as you, I think, that this is a global issue and pointing fingered at individual countries is nonsense.

We have a global economy which is based on consumption. Ie using stuff. The more stuff made = more money. Until that changes the planet is screwed.

What do you do to help reverse the crisis op. I am taking it you don’t have kids, own a car, take holidays abroad etc?

@Libraryghost

What do you do to help reverse the crisis op. I am taking it you don’t have kids, own a car, take holidays abroad etc?

I'm not saying I don't do these things. I'm just saying I find it depressing that some people dont seem to care at all.

I do what I can when I can and yes I have children, have a car and own a washing machine. I use the eco wash, try and avoid plastic use, recycle when I can, try and walk when I can, try and not put the heating on until I am freezing etc etc. I'm not saying I am the best i am just saying I care and try.

For the people on here saying what about China.

China has a population of 1.4 billion. UK has 67 million. That's a big difference, over 21 times the population of the UK.

So of course they consume more energy, and have higher emissions. A lot of that is created by manufacturing stuff for export. No way does the average Chinese person enjoy the lifestyle of the average UK person.

So saying "I won't do anything until the Chinese step up" really makes no sense. Same for India x2.

You could legitimately have a go at the Americans I suppose, but no one seems to be doing that.

@badabadabadababadadadaaa

For the people on here saying what about China.

China has a population of 1.4 billion. UK has 67 million. That's a big difference, over 21 times the population of the UK.

So of course they consume more energy, and have higher emissions. A lot of that is created by manufacturing stuff for export. No way does the average Chinese person enjoy the lifestyle of the average UK person.

So saying "I won't do anything until the Chinese step up" really makes no sense. Same for India x2.

You could legitimately have a go at the Americans I suppose, but no one seems to be doing that.

I find the misplaced eco-fascism on MN and this thread rather appalling. There is always a lot of ridiculous vitriol directed at India. The average Indian's carbon footprint is tiny. The average Indian has no car, does not eat meat more than once or twice a week, does not own a washing machine or tumble dryer, does not fly....

And yes, nobody seems to be blaming Americans. Probably because it is easier to think of an Indian woman with 10 kids ruining the environment when actually it is beef eating, SUV driving, frequent flying Americans who have the highest per capita carbon footprint.

The problem is that we can't reverse the damage unless we do all of it, not just the small things.
Global co2 emissions only dropped by 7% in 2020 because of lockdowns. That was with everyone staying home, not travelling, buying less.
If you eliminated 100% of your emissions for 70 years of your life you would save 1 second of emissions from the global energy sector.
It's a horribly depressing figure that shows how little difference personal sacrifice makes.

We live in the UK where it rains at least 75% of the time so line drying isn’t always feasible.

Glasgow has more wet days per month than any other city in the country and it still has more dry days than wet days (14.2 wet days per month).London has only 9.1 wet days a month. And (having lived in Glasgow and regularly line dried my clothes) the majority of the wet days are in the winter when you'd not be hanging your washing outside anyway.

Can’t imagine not giving him a clean vest, underpants, shirt, jumper, tie, trousers and socks each day. I have 5 of each. Maybe the rule is to stop parents sending them in wearing the same grubby clothes as the day before?

A year 1 kid does not get so sweaty their clothes need washed. Unless you are in some kind of forest school, how the hell is he getting muddy every day? Perhaps if he is spilling food every time he eats, that’s something you need to be working on, because I can assure you, most kids will not spill at every meal. A shirt is not generally “grubby” after a day of normal use.

Wearing fresh trousers is not the same as cleaning your teeth, don’t pretend that it is.

No wonder the environment is such a mess if people are sending kids to school in a whole fresh school uniform every day.

@BoredZelda Clearly, you have not met my five year old. We are out of the house for 15 mins and he is ‘up the eyes’ as we say in Northumberland. He needs a full uniform change everyday (except his vest) just by living.

I discovered recently that a medium-sized dog is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions in a year than an average mileage small family car. And you can't switch a dog onto 'eco'.

[quote hiptobeasquare]@BoredZelda Clearly, you have not met my five year old. We are out of the house for 15 mins and he is ‘up the eyes’ as we say in Northumberland. He needs a full uniform change everyday (except his vest) just by living.[/quote]
You need to train and discipline your five year old better if he needs a full clean school uniform every day. WTF is he doing to his uniform? Bathing in cow shit every day?

@badabadabadababadadadaaa

For the people on here saying what about China. China has a population of 1.4 billion. UK has 67 million. That's a big difference, over 21 times the population of the UK.

So of course they consume more energy, and have higher emissions. A lot of that is created by manufacturing stuff for export. No way does the average Chinese person enjoy the lifestyle of the average UK person.

So saying "I won't do anything until the Chinese step up" really makes no sense. Same for India x2. You could legitimately have a go at the Americans I suppose, but no one seems to be doing that.

Oh I agree! America have a LOT to answer for when it comes to crimes against the environment!

@FatFredsFriedEgg

I discovered recently that a medium-sized dog is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions in a year than an average mileage small family car. And you can't switch a dog onto 'eco'.

Really?!

I’m genuinely interested to know how using a 15 min 30C cycke is more damaging than the ECO cycle