fact check
life cycle assessment
Is it actually true that cordless vacuum cleaners are more environmentally friendly than corded models?
The Stiftung Warentest has dealt with the life cycle assessment of cordless vacuum cleaners and models with cables (symbol image)
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Vacuum cleaner models that do their work thanks to a built-in rechargeable battery have been around for a long time. But are they also more sustainable than those models that have to be plugged into the socket with a cable?
Is it actually true that cordless vacuum cleaners are more environmentally friendly than corded models?
Yes, Stiftung Warentest has just calculated that. Corded devices weigh a lot more than cordless vacuums, and the electronics in these devices are significantly more complex. If you add up how much raw materials, water and electricity are used and how much greenhouse gas is caused, starting with the factory and moving on, both device types are almost on par. The batteries only play a minor role in the calculation, even problematic raw materials such as lithium or cobalt are hardly significant.
Corded vacuum cleaners are energy guzzlers
The main difference is the power consumption. Cable devices are real energy guzzlers. If they are operated at the highest level once a week, they consume about twice as much electricity as cordless vacuum cleaners over a period of ten years. Even if these devices eventually need a replacement battery, they are still ahead in the ecological balance.
Is it actually true that…
The Gruner + Jahr Quality Board and that star-Verification teams take regular fact checks against false reports and classify claims from different subject areas based on facts.
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Source:Stiftung Warentest (Pay item)