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.

I agree with all the comments about the changes we make having less impact than governmental changes but shops do respond to what consumers want to some extent. I hate Amazon (for not paying their taxes) and so I don’t use it but again, the odd folk like me not using it makes no difference and it really needs governments to make it so that they have to pay.

eco programmes use less water. and they heat the water slowly. to turn the drum doesn't use much energy at all.

to heat the water is what uses most electricity (unless you have solar hot water and can use that to fill the washer).

the more water you heat and the quicker you do (short washes) the more electricity you will use.

but yes, it dometimes seems that eco cycles are deliberately designed not to be used. more than 2 hours is not feasible for many households.

I think it's really hard, especially for people who are time/money/resource poor.
I've made a lot of changes to try to make our family environmental impact a little less.
We don't drive much (top up on fuel once a month for a medium sized family car), I mostly wash at 30 degrees except towels occasionally, we pass clothes down and hand on to others, we buy sustainable fabrics where poss when we do buy new, we haven't flown since 2018, glass bottles for milk, wax wraps instead of cling film, washing capsules packaged in card not plastic and no plastic components, local veg box, we have a secondhand tumble drier but barely use that.
At this time of year though we have resorted to tumble drying school clothes as we've not yet got the heat on inside which would help to dry things inside, and our tiny north facing garden doesn't get enough light never mind sun to dry anything. I occasionally drive distances we could walk because working full time / two very demanding children and life just gets too tough.
We do what we can. We are also financially privileged to be able to afford the organic veg boxes and glass milk bottles etc, and to shell out for the other things like non plastic wash capsules.

We do what we can and try to consume mindfully, but I am trying to work on removing the guilt when we do use the tumble drier, car etc., as my mental health is pretty fragile and some days we are all just doing our best to survive. And for that I also try not to judge others. I agree that change at the top and making positive environmental choices cheaper and easier to make for all is absolutely key as well, rather than people turning against each other as individuals.

The length of the cycle doesn't really bother me, if I put a 2 hour cycle on a Sunday morning why is that unfeasible?

There's so many "but they're not doing their bit" responses on here it's depressing. Sounds like a bunch of kids that won't tidy their bedroom because their friends don't tidy theirs

After seeing the global response to Covid I believe that there could be a global response to climate change but it just isn’t acute enough yet for governments to respond together on. When that happens it will likely be too late.

I’m not great at doing what I should regarding eco friendly stuff because I am so busy day to day but I have made my garden eco friendly. I grow native plants, leave wild areas, don’t use chemicals and encourage and help wildlife and I’ve planted trees. I’ve used my little slice of the world to help the local ecosystem. I believe if everyone did a little to help local plants and wildlife it would have quite an impact overall. Even if they only had space to grow some pollinator friendly native flowers.

I also think that eventually the Earth may well become uninhabitable for us and some of the creatures we are familiar with but every extinction event so far has bounced back with new creatures so hopefully that would happen again.

My understanding is that 90% of the energy used in a wash, is heating the water. So by using a cold wash, you may save more energy than the eco setting. So that's what I do, the one hour cold wash.

@Macncheeseballs

The length of the cycle doesn't really bother me, if I put a 2 hour cycle on a Sunday morning why is that unfeasible?

Because some people don't have the same working pattern as you, can't wait for Sunday, or if they did they have many loads to do.

Some people feel like eco saints for using certain wash cycles, driving a bit less…. And then go on holiday to NZ (“we were not tourists, it was an educational experience for the DC”)

Well, maybe that’s just my friends, but honestly I am so tired of being preached at, by people who think they are so “eco” themselves

I take my washing down to the river and scrub it on a board. I'm surprised, OP, that you don't do this. You don't sound very environmentally friendly.

Accidentally, I get that people have different schedules and washing needs but surely sometimes one can just leave the washing on a longer cycle without too much inconvenience

our tiny north facing garden doesn't get enough light never mind sun to dry anything.

It is not really the sun that dries clothes when you hang them out, it's the wind. I have lived from one end of the country to the other, clothes are harder to dry in the south where there was sun but no wind than in the north where there's lots of wind but the sun is less strong. A good flap in the wind makes your towels much softer as well.

@Feelslikealot

The media are doing a great job of making the little people think that if they recycle more, we can solve global warming. We can't. We need serious and drastic change at the top across the whole planet and that's never going to happen. Too many men in charge destroying the planet so they can hoard money.

This, plus most people are shortsighted and lazy. It's the 'one plastic straw won't make a difference' attitude. I feel your pain, I breastfed (artificial feeding has significant environmental impact) and my children wore washable nappies (dried on the line not in a dryer) and have been recycling for years, before it was 'trendy'. Some people think I'm sanctimonious and weird. I think those people are shortsighted and wilfully ignorant.

But ultimately, it's industry that causes more environmental harm than our day to day living.

OP

Please do tell us all where you got the UK made pc or phone you sent this post from.

I'm assuming it was made in the UK because of air miles. I trust everything else in your home was produced in the UK, electronic goods, clothes, shoes, cars, bikes etc???

No you can't can you because you're a massive hypocrite. Whilst telling other people what to do.

Why don't you worry about you. Not what other people do in their own homes.

Rosti1981 You have clearly given it a lot of thought and should not feel guilty for occasionally using your tumble drier etc when you need to.

I am the same - I avoid it when I can but on a wet weekend if I have washed a double duvet cover then it goes in the drier. I probably use mine about once a month.

It's the people who won't even consider making small changes to their lifestyle because they perceive it as 'inconvenient' that I think are so self-centred and that depresses me.

@Macncheeseballs

The length of the cycle doesn't really bother me, if I put a 2 hour cycle on a Sunday morning why is that unfeasible?

Well, let's take this Sunday morning for instance. I have been working 12 hour days for the last two days, as has DH. I then go in to my disabled parents on the way home. So school uniform has built up and all DDs games kit needs washing for tomorrow. As do my work trousers and my one pair of jeans. I will be leaving home at 11 to go to my parents to cook them lunch and sort them out before leaving for work at 3.15pm which I will get home from at 3am tomorrow morning. Then getting back up again to take DD to swim squad before school as DH is on a work residential course. I require clean, dry clothing by 11am. I'm sure you can work out how i cannot manage to wash and dry my clothing, even when I got up at 6.30, using an eco cycle and hanging it outside in the pissing rain that we have here today.

Not everyone works Monday - Friday 9-5 and some of us have a lot of commitments.

@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.

Lol the UK could disappear off the face of the earth and carbon emissions wouldn’t change at all

Don’t you have anything better to worry about?

@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.

Broadly agree with you. But we need big corporations and governments to take bold action to make a proper difference.

The attitudes that people on here have eg I’m not going to do anything unless China does etc, is the reason we are totally fucking screwed.

chocolateorangeinhaler you have spectacularly missed the point.

Being conscious consumers doesn't mean we have to give up everything and live like we did in the pre-industrial revolution.

It means adapting our behaviour in small ways, which collectively will make a big difference. And making better environmental choices where you can.

By the way, there are some eco-friendly phones - e.g Fairphone. And if you choose to buy your electronics 2nd hand as many of us do, then they have a minimal carbon footprint.

@Macncheeseballs

The length of the cycle doesn't really bother me, if I put a 2 hour cycle on a Sunday morning why is that unfeasible?

If you put it on when less pressure on the grid eg I time mine to come on about 1am each morning, it is far more likely that the energy used to power it will come from renewable sources. Depending on your energy supplier it might cost less too. On octopus we get cheaper electric between 11pm and 6am.

Nice to know that is another stick to beat myself with that the child who could not have breast milk and had to have “artificial feeding” (aka special hypoallergenic formula) is wrecking the environment. 🙄

I live in Scotland. I have dried my washing outside throughout the summer, planning my washing via the weather forecast! It has rained everyday this week so I've no choice but to dry my washing in the house now until the spring. Family of four, lots of washing, can't wait for the odd dry and very windy day to come along.

Broadly agree with you. But we need big corporations and governments to take bold action to make a proper difference

Like what? What bold actions do you propose?

The attitudes that people on here have eg I’m not going to do anything unless China does etc, is the reason we are totally fucking screwed

At last count, UK CO2 emissions in one year is matched in China in just two weeks.

You are trying to use a bucket to stop a tsunami and only exhausting yourselves in the meantime.

No, we’re totally fucked because countries like China won’t do anything. It doesn’t make a blind bit of difference what the U.K. does. The breastfeeding comment is so sanctimonious, if you’re that bothered about the environment why did you have a kid?

"Artificial feeding" ? Well, you're definitely sanctimonious.