Washing Machines
• If the lifespan of washing machines in Germany increased from 12 to 17 years, consumers would lose no money and avoid 140k tonnes of CO2e annually on a national level.
• Repair is possible and often successful: 91% of repair requests to European manufacturers in 2018/2019 were successfully repaired.
• For short term purchases, it is often cheaper (and more environmentally friendly) to lease rather than buy lowering environmental footprint and lowering cost for consumer. Alternatives include refurbished devices, including from German municipalities
• Replacing a functioning washing machine for environmental reasons almost never makes sense (unless it is very old and very energy inefficient).
• Maintaining your machine regularly (e.g. cleaning lint filter, replacing hoses etc.) helps proactively avoid breakdowns.
• Repair is possible and often successful: 91% of repair requests to European manufacturers in 2018/2019 were successfully repaired.
• For short term purchases, it is often cheaper (and more environmentally friendly) to lease rather than buy lowering environmental footprint and lowering cost for consumer. Alternatives include refurbished devices, including from German municipalities
• Replacing a functioning washing machine for environmental reasons almost never makes sense (unless it is very old and very energy inefficient).
• Maintaining your machine regularly (e.g. cleaning lint filter, replacing hoses etc.) helps proactively avoid breakdowns.
Did you know?
The average lifespan of washing machines in Germany is around 14 years. 20% of washing machines had a lifespan of more than 22 years.
