Scientists have found that in Britain, microwave ovens emit the same amount of carbon dioxide as a million cars. Researchers are urging people to use microwaves more efficiently.
Scientists obtained this data by analyzing the impact of microwave ovens on the environment, taking into account their production, use and disposal.
There are about 23 million microwaves in Britain, according to researchers, but despite the enormous popularity of the appliance, little is known about its environmental impact.
Scientists from the University of Manchester have concluded that microwave ovens emit about 1.2 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, which corresponds to the "productivity" of 1.3 million cars.
On average, a microwave consumes 573 kilowatt-hours of electricity over its lifetime, which is comparable to the consumption of a 7-watt LED light bulb that has been lit continuously for nine years.
The authors of the study urge owners of microwave ovens to use the technique more efficiently, follow the cooking recipes, and not rely on intuition for the most powerful setting.
Study lead author Alejandro Gallego-Schmid of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science says: "Microwaves account for the majority of all ovens sold in the UK, so there is a need to study their impact on resource use and consider the issue of disposal."
The scientist notes that buyers are eager to purchase new appliances before the life cycle of an old microwave comes to an end.
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“As a result, discarded electrical appliances such as microwaves are one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world,” adds Gallego-Schmid.
People use microwaves on average seven years less than they did twenty years ago. Scientists have published the text of the work in the journal Science of the Total Environment.
Researchers estimate that in 2005, discarded microwaves accounted for 184 tons of e-waste.
But David Ray, a professor at the University of Edinburgh, who is working on reducing carbon dioxide emissions, says: the assessment of damage from cars took into account only the emissions of a running engine”.
Ray admits, “There are indeed a lot of microwaves and they consume electricity. But the role of microwaves in atmospheric pollution is negligible compared to the influence of cars. There are 30 million cars in the UK alone, and they produce far more carbon dioxide than all microwaves in the European Union.”
According to statistics, in 2015, passenger cars in the UK emitted 69 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Anton Komarov