How do we live more sustainably? Towards better living

Around 52% of our consumers consider themselves to be climate conscious but many don’t live as sustainably as they’d like. Such were the findings of our Better Living Report to help consumers close the gap between how they live today and how they could live a more sustainable future.

In 2019, Electrolux launched the Better Living Program - a plan to enable better and more sustainable living for consumers around the world by 2030.

The initiative widens the scope of the Electrolux commitment to sustainability and enables the company and its brands to contribute in a meaningful way to key global challenges. Bold targets focus on better eating, better garment care and a better home environment.

• Make sustainable eating the preferred choice
• Make clothes last twice as long with half the environmental impact
• Make homes free from harmful allergens and pollutants
• Make homes healthier and more sustainable through smart solutions for air, water and floors.

Know me before we talk green

To enable and empower consumers to take action for a more a sustainable home-life, the Electrolux Better Living Report was conducted in nine cities - Stockholm, Warsaw, Sao Paulo, Santiago, Buenos Aires, San Francisco, Shanghai, Hanoi and Melbourne.

We asked over 9,000 people between the ages of 18-60 about their attitudes, behaviors and intentions on the topic of sustainability.

• 48% believe that they can have a positive impact on the environment
• 30% find it hard to figure out which consumption choices are the most sustainable
• 49% would like to have more labels to highlight good product environmental choices

The results were insightful. Just over half of all respondents sort and recycle waste, limit the use of single-use plastic, and actively reduce their water and energy usage. 

But they want to do more. The three areas with the largest green gaps are closely related to the above three behaviors. Consumers want us to help with: limiting food waste, reducing water and energy use and limiting the use of single-use plastic.

Help me eat more sustainably

Consumers know that wasting food is bad for the planet. 53% of respondents try to minimize the amount of food they throw in the bin. Fresh food that goes bad before it’s consumed is a barrier and 37% throw away food that has passed its best before date while it could still be perfectly good to eat.

There’s a knowledge gap on the impact of shifting to a plant-based diet. Scientists agree that this is one of the best actions consumers can take to eat more sustainably, yet only 18% say that eating plant-based is the most sustainable approach and the same percentage of respondents say they wish to eat more plant-based food.

Give old food new life: One reason for food waste is because food loses its freshness. The top item thrown away is bread, but stale bread can be dried and used as breadcrumbs or try making it fresh again by putting it in a steam oven.

What's washing temperature got to do with it?

The majority of people – 69% – agree that increasing the lifespan of clothes by taking good care of them is the most sustainable approach.

When it comes to defining sustainable garment care, 48% of respondents make sure to always wash full loads. However, fear of damaging our clothes prevents us from washing full loads more often than we do.

Many people want to reduce their energy consumption by switching to more efficient machines instead of lowering washing temperatures. Only 1 in 3 respondents use lower temperatures with 30% stating they can’t get rid of stains and 29% say they follow the advice of the washing label.

Don’t be afraid to tumble dry: Tumble-drying can be both gentle and energy efficient. With some garments (for example down), the result is even better than if you air dry - helping your clothes to last for longer.

Vacuum and purify for more fresh air

Four out of five respondents felt that indoor air quality is important for wellbeing at home, but many are not aware of the sources of indoor air pollution. 54% of respondents air out their homes to improve indoor air quality, not knowing that in urban areas, they are letting in polluted air into their homes. While 32% of people want to use an air purifier in their homes, 41% say they are too expensive and 26% believe they consume too much energy.

As more than 90% of the world’s population lives in places where air quality exceeds the World Health Organization's guideline limits, controlling the indoor air quality is becoming even more important. 

Start from the bottom-up and inside out: Vacuum your floors on a regular basis because keeping them free from dust keeps other surfaces dust-free too. To improve indoor air use, for instance, Electrolux air purifier Pure A9 is designed to be a natural part of our living space. It’s companion app makes it easy to understand the air quality – indoor and out – and the purification work that the Pure A9 does.