YONKERS, N.Y. – Consumer Reports (CR), the nonprofit research, testing, and consumer advocacy organization, is expanding its new Green Choice designation to washing machines. CR will now use a green leaf icon to help consumers identify the washers that are more efficient and have a lower impact on the environment overall. 

Nearly half (47 percent) of Americans say they would be willing to pay more for a product if it was green, eco-friendly, or safe for the environment, according to a recent CR nationally-representative survey of 2,288 US adults. 

“Doing laundry has implications for the environment. Washing clothes requires a lot of water and energy. Plus, there are concerns about the machine’s durability and how rough it is on fabrics, which can create additional environmental impact from waste disposal and replacement items,” said James Dickerson, Chief Scientific Officer at Consumer Reports. “With Green Choice, we are trying to advance consumer behavior and business practices that are more sustainable and accessible to everyone.” 

CR launched Green Choice in February to designate the vehicles that emit among the lowest amount of greenhouse gases and other smog-forming pollutants. With the introduction of Green Choice to home appliances, CR is adding the green leaf icon to the washing machines that score among the top 20 percent of all washers according to CR data when it comes to water and energy use, reliability, and gentleness. 

CR measures the water use and energy consumption of washing machines. Energy use includes the energy needed to run the machine, heat the hot water, and dry the damp laundry based on how well the machine spins and wrings water from the clothing. Washers that extract more water from the spin cycle enable the tumble dryer to use less energy and, as a result, score higher in CR’s energy-efficiency evaluation. 

“Our tests show that Green Choice washers not only reduce one’s environmental footprint, they also tend to be better at cleaning clothes,” said Dickerson. “That’s one of the big reasons why a majority of the Green Choice washers are also recommended by CR.” 

While the designation is not limited to recommended models, 55 percent of Green Choice washers are recommended by CR; 23 percent of washing machines are also CR Best Buys, showing that it is possible for manufacturers to make washers that perform well, are better for the environment, and are affordable. Click here for more information about Green Choice. 

CR buys all of the products it tests at retail just as consumers do and does not accept free samples from manufacturers for its ratings or evaluations.