Application of Best Practice Tips in manual dishwashing in Germany and Spain

Abstract

Investigations on the consumer behaviour of manual dishwashing have shown that there is a large variety of ways of how to wash up by hand, and the corresponding resource consumption is affected accordingly. In order to reduce resource consumption in manual dishwashing while achieving an acceptably good cleaning result, Best Practice Tips have been established (published in Fuss et al.) on the basis of laboratory experiments and the knowledge of everyday behaviour. This study is aimed at verifying the potential to save resources in real life when consumers are applying Best Practice Tips for manual dishwashing. A 4‐week in‐house study was run in two European countries, and data of the manual dishwashing behaviour were acquired before and after training on the Best Practice Tips. The results of both periods were compared with each other and between the countries. The test participants in Germany needed approximately 30% less water and 40% less energy, on average, in the period in which they applied the Best Practice Tips; in Spain, nearly 50% less water and 60% less energy for dishwashing in the period after the training. It has to be taken into consideration, however, that individual savings are very different due to specific living conditions, household sizes, practices in dishwashing and more or less prejudice against the Best Practice Tips.

The Invisible Water Utility. Employee Behaviour and Customer Experience in Service-Dominant Logic

“…The anthropological literature of water consumption emphasises intangible values, which contrasts with the utilitarian approach taken by water utility marketing literature. For example, whereas the mundane activity of washing the dishes is anthropologically viewed as a social activity undertaken within the family unit, the business literature describes it as the consumption of a resource (Allon and Sofoulis, 2006;Berkholz et al, 2013Berkholz et al, , 2010Fuss and Stamminger, 2012;Richter, 2010Richter, , 2011.…”

“…Investigations on the consumer behaviour of manual dishwashing have shown a large variety of ways of how to wash up by hand and corresponding water use (Fuss and Stamminger, 2012).…”

“…Washing dishes is a common household activity that requires energy, water and time to be completed. Detailed investigations have been conducted to better understand water used for this mundane activity (Berkholz et al, 2010(Berkholz et al, , 2013Fuss and Stamminger, 2012;Richter, 2010Richter, , 2011. This literature compares resource usage for different methods of washing dishes, e.g.…”

“…The Straussian approach recognises that a fully objective study of social reality is not possible and follows a constructivist agenda in that "theories are not found ready made in reality, but must be constructed" (Strauss and Corbin, 1990, p.58). This perspective allows for apriori coding to process the interview data, which entails the use of codes based on the literature review or existing theory (Furniss et al, 2011;Liamputtong and Eddy, 2005). The Straussian approach to Grounded Theory is less restrictive and "procedures are neither mechanical nor automatic, nor do they constitute an algorithm guaranteed to give results" (Strauss and Corbin, 1990, p.59).…”

Scope of improvement in water usage efficiency in manual dishwashing: A multicountry study by questionnaire survey

“…In German households, the water and energy consumptions were found to be 30 and 40% less, respectively, on average, in the period in which they applied the Best Practice Tips. And in Spain, nearly 50% less water and 60% less energy were used for dishwashing in the period after the training (Fuss & Stamminger, ).…”