Pennsylvania, USA-This may not be your first thought, but did you know that your laundry habits may cause climate change?

This is why FOX43 spoke with Ryan McKenzie, co-founder of Tru Earth, a company dedicated to helping solve the climate change crisis by creating products that help reduce plastic waste. One of their most popular products is their laundry bar, which is made of polyvinyl alcohol instead of plastic, so it will completely dissolve in water when you wash your clothes. 

McKenzie shared some ways to make you more environmentally friendly when doing housework every day. He said, first of all, look for alternatives to traditional detergents. Most washing powders are packaged in plastic. According to National Geographic, 91% of plastics cannot be recycled and will take 400 years to decompose. Globally, over the past 65 years, 6.3 billion metric tons of plastic have become waste in landfills and oceans. "In North America alone, there are 700 million kettles that cannot be recycled," Mackenzie said. Second, reduce the amount of soap used per load. The average consumer overuses 30% of washing powder. McKenzie said that if you need to rinse your clothes, it means you are using too much.

"Most of the cleaning action that occurs in the washing machine comes from stirring," he said. Third, ensure that your washer and dryer save energy and consider using cold water. According to Energy Star, 90% of the energy produced by washing machines is used to heat water. The EPA stated that replacing 4 out of 5 pieces of clothing with cold water can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 864 pounds in a year. The same study found that a complete washing machine uses about 20 gallons of water at a time, while an Energy Star certified washing machine uses about 14 gallons of water. Fourth, wear clothes again and avoid excessive washing. Even the most energy-efficient options for washing machines and dryers can be expensive and add more than $115 in electricity bills each year. This is why McKenzie recommends wearing heavy clothes such as denim and air-drying when regular dryer cycles are not required. Finally, remember that you can make a difference. He said: "You may not think you can make such a big impact, but letting 200 million people make a small change together will have a huge impact."

To learn more about what McKenzie has to say, check out the clip above.

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