Derek Tan Jun En (FoE), Sew Shu Wen (FoS), Teo Mingjie (FASS), Wen Qiao (FoE), Ye Xingchun (FASS)
Academic Advisor: Mr. Lim Cheng Puay
Industry Advisor: Ms. Karen Ho Lye Ying (OFM, NUS)
Clothes washing is an essential part of daily household chores. Our project aims to maximise water efficiency and reduce wastage in laundry practices. Studies have shown that consumers tend to underload wash cycles, suggesting that excessive amounts of water and electricity are used beyond the optimal number of cycles required. Given that each washing cycle in RVRC consumes 50.8L of water and 1.2kWh, the accumulative wastage over time and across the population is likely to be substantial. As past sharing economy models have been successful, adapting it into communal laundry system could create a more sustainable living environment. We propose laundry sharing as a method to improve the efficiency of each individual washing cycle. We will trial the laundry sharing initiative and the feasibility of a pay-it-forward culture within RVRC. Firstly, we will perform a pilot survey to collect data on the awareness of laundry water usage and interest on laundry sharing. Next, a trial run is conducted with survey results on preferences factored in. Water usage changes will then be analysed to determine the potential savings and possible limitations. Lastly, a post-trial survey will improve the feasibility of the project. This project contributes to improving water saving habits and alleviates water and energy consumption in the long run.
Keywords: Water, Energy, Laundry share, Sharing economy, Habits survey