We've done our homework so you don't have to
Did you know that 2/3 of your clothes' carbon footprint occurs in the use phase? That is actually great news: you have the power to make a difference and we are here to give you the tools to do so.
It's simple: We create products that you can wear more, wash less and keep longer. You spend less, create less waste, save water and electricity. But how much can you actually save?
STAIN REPELLENT, ANTIBACTERIAL CLOTHES
WEAR MORE INBETWEEN WASHES
WASH AND IRON LESS
EXTEND LIFESPAN, REDUCE WASTE
SAVE WATER, ELECTRICITY
2019 UPDATE
We ran the numbers and this is how much water and energy we saved this year. Below we calculated the impact and saving potential each one of our garment has, compared to traditional shirts and t-shirts. We then multiplied that with the total number of items you bought in 2019.
Look at the crazy impact we made, together.
210,813 kWh
Total energy saving
9,043,321 L
Total water saving
WEAR MORE INBETWEEN WASHES
Average number of times a garment is worn before washed
T-shirt
Shirt
Regular
1,5
2
LABFRESH
3,5
3,5
WASH AND IRON LESS
Number of washes per year
T-shirt
Shirt
Regular
243,33
182,5
LABFRESH
104,29
104,29
The 3 key contributors to your clothes' carbon footprint during the use phase are washing, drying and ironing, according to the European Commission (Source 4).
Innovative textiles allow you to wear your clothes longer between washes, therefore wash and iron less, save water and electricity.
Frequent washing is also the main reason your clothes wear out. Keep your favourites in top shape for longer by washing less and reduce waste in the process.
Choosing natural fibers is also key, since man made fabrics such as Polyester are known to release microplastic fibers during washing, which account for the majority of plastic in the oceans.
EXTENDED LIFESPAN
Number of wears during its entire lifecycle
T-shirt
Shirt
Regular
53-75
70-100
LABFRESH
122-175
122-175
SAVE ENERGY
Amount of energy saved per year in kWh
T-shirt
Regular
13,63 kWh
LABFRESH
5,84 kWh
7,8 kWh energy saved / year / t-shirt
Shirt
Regular
11,68 kWh
LABFRESH
6,67 kWh
5,01 kWh energy saved / year / shirt
Always go for the lowest possible temperature setting. 90% of the energy used by washing machines go to heating the water.
Skip the dryer! Preserve the quality of your clothes longer and save up to 315kg CO2 emission per year. (Source 5)
What can you do with 1 kWh?
- Charge your phone 2 hours/day for a month
- Blend 200 smoothies
- Toast 160 slices of bread
SAVE WATER
Amount of water saved per year in litres
T-shirt
Regular
583,99 L
LABFRESH
250,29 L
333,7 L water saved / year / t-shirt
Shirt
Regular
503,7 L
LABFRESH
287,84 L
215,9 L water saved / year / shirt
You can save up to 540 L water during the lifespan of a LABFRESH t-shirt vs a regular one. That's 9 months of drinking water for an adult.
Put it in perspective
- A bath: 150-300 litres
- Shower: 50-100 litres
- Flushing a toilet: 10 litres
- Washing dishes by hand: 23 litres
- Dishwasher: 20-40 litres.
- Washing machine: 40-80 litres
Methodology
Number of wears before having to wash for regular t-shirts and regular shirts (Table 1 from Source 1)
Number of wears before having to wash for LABFRESH shirts and t-shirts is from our Customer Satisfaction survey with 1500+ respondents (Source 3)
Life span
Average life span of a shirt is 35-50 washes (Source 6)
Regular t-shirt
No. of wears before washing x lifespan of a shirt in washes = 53-75 wears
LABFRESH t-shirt
No. of wears before washing x lifespan of a shirt in washes = 122-175 wears
Regular shirt
No. of wears before washing x lifespan of a shirt in washes = 70-100 wears
LABFRESH shirt
No. of wears before washing x lifespan of a shirt in washes = 122-175 wears
Water usage
Water use per kg of laundry is 13,8L/kg (Table 4 from Source 1)
One t-shirt is 175g so; (13,8 x 175)/1000 = 2,40 L water used / t-shirt / wash
One shirt is 200g so; (13,8 x 200)/1000 = 2,76 L water used / shirt / wash
Number of wears before having to wash it / 365 = Number of washes / year
Number of washes / year x Water used / wash = Water used / year
Energy usage
Energy use is 0.32 kWh per kg (Table 4 from Source 1)
One t-shirt is 175g so; (0.32 kWhx x 175)/1000 = 0,056 kwh energy used / t-shirt / wash
One shirt is 200g so; (0.32 kWhx x 200)/1000 = 0,064 kwh energy used / shirt / wash
Number of washes / year x Energy used / wash = Energy used / year
kWh usage examples from Source 2
Sources
1: Does Use Matter? Comparison of Environmental Impacts of Clothing Based on Fiber Type (Kirsi Laitala, Ingun Grimstad Klepp and Beverley Henry, 2018)
2: https://auth.novec.commonspotcloud.com/Save/1-kWh.cfm
3: LABFRESH Customer Satisfaction Survey: https://labfresh.typeform.com/report/ZSVt9z/Rh9UQdCaJJq8xYw2
4: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2019/633143/EPRS_BRI(2019)633143_EN.pdf
5: https://www.treehugger.com/htgg/how-to-go-green-laundry.html