Post by jorinaparvin147 on Feb 25, 2024 2:57:23 GMT -6
Technology has made many of our tasks easier, one of them is cleaning kitchen utensils with the arrival of the dishwasher. Although taking into account the climate emergency, what is more ecological?… A dishwasher or hand washing dishes? While technology aims to simplify life, it does not always have a positive impact over traditional methods. Some environmentalists have brought this debate to the table about whether a dishwasher is really more environmentally friendly than washing dishes by hand. An article published in 2005 points out that at that time the dishwasher used half the energy and one sixth the water. Fifteen years later, another investigation highlights that this result has not changed much. The dishwasher continues to take the lead in efficiency, both in terms of energy and water used. However, he highlights that there are better and worse ways to use it and wash dishes by hand. Those involved in this study mention that the findings are interesting because kitchen cleaning is something we do every day, so why not learn the optimal way? From report to practice To demonstrate what is greener, 40 participants were asked to put a load in the dishwasher and then wash the dishes by hand as they normally do at home. After this, the contestants answered a series of questions about their behavior and their experience with both methods.
Three other participants were then asked to load a dishwasher and wash dishes by hand following best practices. This meant not pre-rinsing dishes before loading them into the dishwasher and using the normal recommended cycle with dry, rinse-aid, and high-quality detergent. The machines were assumed to be fully charged, as 93% of participants reported that they were able to do this regularly. For washing dishes, this meant using the two-basin method: "where dishes are soaked and scrubbed in hot water, rinsed in cold water, and air dried." These “best practices” differ Job Function Email List from typical dishwashing behaviors. Most people use “suboptimal loading patterns” and pre-rinse their dishes before loading them into the dishwasher. They also run the tap while washing by hand, which wastes significant amounts of water, and rinse with hot water. The researchers found that these typical practices produce "5,620 and 2,090 kg of greenhouse gas emissions, respectively, based on washing 4 loads (8 places per load) per week for 10 years." Therefore, dishwashing was less than half as bad as handwashing, even when improper techniques were used. So?… When it comes to water use, the benefits of dishwashers continue. Over the course of ten years, a dishwasher will use 16,300 gallons of water, of which comes from daily use, not production; while washing the same number of dishes by hand for ten years will use 34,200 gallons.
Although according to researchers, learning the right techniques could go a long way toward improving your footprint: If you washed your dishes more thoroughly, you could reduce emissions by a further 249 percent. Greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the recommended two-basin approach were only 1,610 kg over 10 years. Although it's not much less than a properly functioning dishwasher at 2,090kg, which suggests that using a dishwasher, especially if you're taking into account the cost of your time, really seems to be the way to go. Dishwasher Disadvantages One of the disadvantages pointed out in the study is the difficulty that can be found in recycling appliances such as the dishwasher and the lack of regularization of this. Unlike other countries, there is no federal legislation in the US requiring recycling of appliances. There is also no mandate requiring original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to establish 'take-back' schemes or similar programs for the recovery of appliances. Appliances (such as dishwashers) can be recycled through commercial facilities and other programs, and it was found that 62% of major appliances were recycled in the US. A fairly low percentage. The end of life of a dishwasher depends on regional access to recycling facilities. When recycled, dishwashers are crushed and then the ferrous metals are separated magnetically. Recycling centers prefer to receive steel tubs rather than plastic tub dishwashers, as they contain more metal that can be sold to materials processors. This means an environmental disadvantage. So, what do you think? Do you think that washing dishes by hand is more environmentally friendly or is it better to use a dishwasher.