It's Easy Being Green...

Just to throw a spanner in the works, here is a little mythbuster to ponder on in light of current environmental debates. If going green gets you going then you should check out smallust.com because this month’s edition is all about the environmental issues that have everyone talking.

A recent article in The Age asks if hand washing dishes are more environmentally friendly. I bet most of you are saying yes, right? Well we hope you didn’t bet any Vilain Boutique sheet sets on it because apparently the answer is false!

Chats about being environmentally conscious in day-to-day living have bumped conversations about the latest Grey’s Anatomy episode right off the Friday night drinks discussion list. If you have yet to throw your two cents worth in on the going green issue then maybe you’re not cool enough! (Or hot enough??)

The Age article, “The Dishes are Done,” suggests that a dishwasher when used appropriately, can save time, energy and water and in most cases leave your dishes cleaner than when your attempt to do them after your last guest leaves your wine and cheese party.

A study completed by Bond University found that dishwashers consume about half the energy and a third of the water of hand washing. The study concludes that when comparing the washing of 140 dishes by hand with a 12-setting dishwashing machine, hand washing used 63 liters and required 4.2 kilowatts of energy to heat the water, while most dishwashers only used 15 to 20 liters and 1.5 kilowatts of energy.

BUT… don’t breathe that sigh of relief and throw out the washing gloves just yet. The Swinburne University National Centre for Sustainability reminds us that there are a few little variables to consider.

Some people choose to rinse their dishes while others move them straight from the soapy water to the dish rack. Some people prefer to wash after each meal and other people wait till the end of the day to do one big clean up. Then there are the odd households that are lucky to wash their dirty dishes once a week! Some might call these people untidy, I call them energy savers.

If only plastic plates weren’t environmentally unfriendly!

If this has got you scratching your head in interest then don’t forget to check out the Small Lust website.


If you would like to read this article, click here.