Is my vacuum bad for the environment?

Compared to traditional brooms, vacuums use lots of energy. The average vacuum uses 1,440w of energy per hour, generated by a 12-amp motor, and only 25% the electricity used goes on cleaning up dirt and dust,  the rest simply creates heat and noise. 

To minimise the environmental impact of your vacuum:

  • try to only use your vacuum on carpeted flooring and use a broom on other floor areas
  • consider buying a greener vacuum, which uses less energy and has a compostable bag.