microwave ovens are cooking the environment: study - small electrical appliances

Small household appliances such as microwaves, kettles and hair dryers harm the environment in more than a dozen different ways, and consumers can do more to reduce the impact, researchers said on Thursday.
In the EU, 0. 13 billion microwave ovens use 7.
They reported in the journal Environmental Science that 7 million tons of carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere every year, equivalent to the annual emissions of nearly 8 million cars.
Lead author Alejandro Gallego said: "Electricity consumption has the greatest impact
Schmeed is a research assistant at the University of Manchester.
"This is because of the fuel used to generate electricity.
"In Europe alone, the carbon footprint has grown significantly by adding 0. 15 billion vacuum cleaners, 0. 144 billion kettles and more than 100 million hair dryers.
Clearly, eliminating fossil fuels from the energy mix will reduce emissions from small household appliances.
But this is not done overnight: coal and natural gas still account for more than 40% of the EU's electricity generation.
For the rest of the world, this figure is about 70%.
Before this change, there are other ways to limit the environmental damage caused by energy.
Hunger equipment that has become part of everyday life, Gallego-Schmid said.
First, consumers can reduce waste.
"On average, the kettle boiled 50% more water than people needed," he told AFP . ".
"There are about 0. 144 billion water bottles in the EU.
Environmental impact--
And room for improvement-is huge.
He added: "Similarly, most people operate the microwave oven longer than it takes to heat or cook food. -
Shortened life
Consumers should also resist the temptation to discard forever --
More features or cheaper ovens for models suitable for the new kitchen color scheme.
Analysis by other researchers of 100 actors
Gallego-at a recycling point in the UK, the microwave shows that half is still working and most of the rest can be fixed easilySchmid said.
In 2005, in the European Union alone, 184,000 tons of waste from waste microwaves were produced.
Manufacturers are not beyond reproach.
Today, the average life of a microwave oven is seven years shorter than 20 years ago.
The regulations also play a role, for example, in last September, the European Union stipulated that new vacuum cleaners sold in the EU must not have more than 900 watts of motor, measures designed to reduce energy use.
Officials touted the new ruling as money.
But some disgruntled consumers rushed to buy powerful machines before they disappeared from the shelves.
The study pointed out that inserting equipment into walls is not the only way to produce carbon dioxide pollution in ovens, microwave ovens and hair dryers. If the "cradle-to-
Considering the life cycle of small household appliances, electricity use accounts for only 67% of CO2 emissions.
One quarter is related to manufacturing, 6% is related to materials used in construction, and 1% is related to recycling.
Manufacturing, transportation, terminalof-
Management of domestic waste-
This is where we can improve . "Schmid said.