CINCINNATI — Coin laundry owners and operators may want to follow the progress of a new strategic partnership between Procter & Gamble and the Alliance to Save Energy, a nonprofit organization that promotes energy efficiency worldwide through research, education and advocacy.
Their collective effort will be to publicize the environmental and energy-savings benefits of washing laundry in cold water. The Alliance will work with P&G’s natural resource education initiative called Future Friendly to provide consumers with the information they need to convert from hot/warm-water washing habits to cold-water washing.
Heating of water is a major use of energy. When doing laundry, heating water can account for up to 80% of the energy used per wash load in the United States. By moving to cold water, Americans could reduce CO2 emissions by up to 11 million metric tons annually, P&G and the Alliance say.
A major barrier to adopting cold-water washing habits is the consumer worry that washing in cold water will not clean as effectively as warm/hot water. To combat this notion, a P&G detergent specially formulated to perform optimally in cold water will be showcased.
P&G Future Friendly will work with the Alliance as part of an Earth Day-focused campaign that encourages consumers to change their laundry habits for the better. Featuring a Facebook sweepstakes, pop-up events and media activities, the campaign will utilize Alliance-provided data and consumer-friendly language to illustrate the environmental benefits of cold-water washing and drive consumer action.
