On the Line: Transforming Laundry for Water, Women and Prosperity
Addressing one of global water management's greatest overlooked blindspots. Exploring scalable, water-efficient, and low-pollution laundry solutions while launching the global Washline Coalition.
Why Laundry is a Development & Water Issue
Globally, laundry is one of the most overlooked uses of water. Around 4 billion people wash clothes by hand, and in some households, women spend up to 15 hours a week on laundry. This unpaid domestic burden depletes clean water reserves and pollutes waterways through harsh chemical detergents and synthetic microplastics.
Through an interactive, immersive experience, The Washing Machine Project (TWMP), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), MetaMeta, and the Netherlands Environmental Agency will demonstrate how innovative laundry solutions directly advance integrated water resource management (SDG 6), climate resilience, gender equality (SDG 5), and economic prosperity.
Drawing on ADB's Laundry Transformation Initiative, TWMP's on-the-ground deployments across 14 countries, and environmental research from partner institutions, this session explores proven pathways to water-efficient, affordable, repairable, and low-pollution laundry ecosystems. The event will also feature the official launch of the Washline Coalition—a unified global partnership driving research, tech deployment, and catalytic investment to transform laundry globally.
Featured Publications & Evidence Base
Advancing laundry as a development priority for water efficiency, health, and gender equity.
An empirical assessment of handwashing time burdens, health tolls, and water scarcity.
Comprehensive third-party evaluations, QuIP field analyses, and case study datasets.
Join the Asian Development Bank, MetaMeta, the Netherlands Environmental Agency, and The Washing Machine Project in Room 13. Confirmed speaker lineup and bios will be updated here shortly. Come prepared to learn how laundry is a global water, gender, and development issue.