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They used 8 items to represent a hand-washed 2 people meal - 2 plates, 2 knives, 2 forks, etc
Most people would run it more full. Just like some people wouldn't use 30L water a day to wash their stuff in the sink. Basically their arguments are bullshit for people who are used to not wasting water. Maybe I'm just odd because I grew up in a drought-stricken country (although living next to a river made that seem at odds with my reality).
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It was also about tackling the original claim that you'd be better off running a half empty dishwasher than handwashing (as I remember it).
TBH it's so hard to work this stuff out properly. Our dishwasher came with the house and is old, so probably not that efficient. But it's probably eaten it's production cost. However, we have kids stuff to hand wash plus don't dishwash pans so how much does it save anyway?
However, fuck having to do all the dishwashing I already do plus what goes in the washer.
Claim: 8 dishes in washed in dishwasher every night uses less water and energy than 2min tap run in sink.
Raised first by Proctor and Gamble, Malcolm Gladwell, revisionist history podcast
9L water used for hand washing (on average), handwashers more likely to wash more regularly so could use up to 20-30L/day versus 13L for average dishwasher run.
1.1kwh per wash, sink washing varies massively, they're assuming natural gas heated water
9L in sink to wash meal for two - 8 things, 13L for dishwasher, hence the break even point of 8 items.
They didn't look at energy to make and ship the dishwasher (nor upgrades given they were just talking averages) though reckon it will be paid off over its life (assuming their higher figures)
Plus, dishwasher owners still have to use sinks for non-dishwasher stuff like wooden bowls and chopping boards and posh glassware.
So, given our water is either cold or heated with electric (depending on the items) and normally we use half a sink to wash a day's dishes (more like 6 items per meal, not 8 items only) I'm still confident -our- washing up habits are more efficient than any of your dishwasher shenanigans.