Juliette Jowit - Europe's microwave ovens emit nearly as much CO2 as 7m cars
Popping frozen peas
into the microwave for a couple of minutes may seem utterly harmless, but
Europe’s stock of these quick-cook ovens emit as much carbon as nearly 7m cars,
a new study has found. And the problem is
growing: with costs falling and kitchen appliances becoming “status” items,
owners are throwing away microwaves after an average of eight years, pushing
rising sales.
A study by the
University of Manchester worked out the emissions of carbon dioxide – the main
greenhouse gas responsible for climate change – at every stage of microwaves,
from manufacture to waste disposal. “It is electricity
consumption by microwaves that has the biggest impact on the environment,” say
the authors, who also calculate that the emissions from using 19 microwaves
over a year are the same as those from a car.
“Efforts to reduce
consumption should focus on improving consumer awareness and behaviour to use
appliances more efficiently. For example, electricity consumption by microwaves
can be reduced by adjusting the time of cooking to the type of food.” Each year more
microwaves are sold than any other type of oven in the EU: annual sales are
expected to reach 135m by the end of the decade...
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