Characterizing laundry practices and linking resource consumption in five megacities of Asia

Doing domestic laundry is a social practice held together by social, material, and personal elements. Therefore, understanding the underlying dimensions behind laundry practices can reveal the drivers and inhibitors for change toward sustainable consumption and production. Researchers have mostly investigated household laundry practices in developed regions of the world. As a result, understanding the antecedents of these practices in contexts such as those of emerging Asian economies is limited. This study set out to answer the following questions for five megacities in Asia: Tokyo, Bangkok, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), and Metro Manila: How do laundering practices and associated resource consumption compare among the five cities? What are the critical material and social elements influencing resource consumption in laundering practices in each city? To answer these questions, we synthesized laundry-activity data from four independent studies and quantified energy and water use for household laundry. We also developed an analytical framework that draws on social practice theories to understand the broader social and material elements that shape laundry practices with their resource implications. The results showed high energy and water consumption in Metro Manila, related to lower incomes and the use of inefficient washing machines. HCMC and Bangkok had the lowest water and energy consumption, respectively, due to efficient front-loading washing machines and airdry practices. To drive sustainable laundry practices, we urge policymakers to encourage greater use of efficient front-loading washing machines and to expand access to shared laundry facilities and drying spaces.