UK laundry start-up, Oxwash, will begin using e-cargo bikes to operate within London’s ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) in a bid to achieve net zero carbon emissions across its entire cleaning cycle.
Founded in 2017, Oxwash is a washing and dry-cleaning firm whose innovative cleaning process involves the use of sterile water reclaimed from previous wash cycles and the sterilisation of fabrics with ozone at lower temperatures.
It is aiming for net zero carbon emissions for its whole cleaning process, from collection, through washing and back to delivery and has therefore begun using the EAV 2Cubed e-cargo bike for collections and deliveries within London.
EAV cargo bikes are being used by a number of firms, including Asda and DPD. So-called because it has a capacity of 2.0m³ the 2Cubed bike allows Oxwash riders to deliver higher volumes of laundry while being 85 per cent more efficient than traditional diesel vans for last mile deliveries.
The bikes are charged by fully renewable energy sources and produce no CO2 or NOx emissions. As such, they are perfect for operating within the capital’s ULEZ to collect and deliver laundry from consumer and business customers.
“We are harnessing the power of science to overhaul an outdated and highly polluting industry,” said Oxwash CEO and Founder, Kyle Grant.
“Traditional methods can only go so far and have taken their toll on the planet. The zero-emissions EAV bikes are the cutting edge in sustainable local goods transport, and we are proud to have them as a partner on our journey to bring truly sustainable laundry to everyone.
“Our customers are central to everything we do, and the cutting-edge EAVs will allow us to transport more than double our usual laundry capacity, for both bags and hanging items, per journey. This added efficiency means our customers benefit from more flexible delivery and pickup times.
“With more cities now introducing congestion charges and low-emission zones, our model ensures that we are future-proofing our delivery routes for our customers so that their service remains reliable and unparalleled.”
Expanding on his firm’s philosophy, Grant added: “Sustainability runs at the heart of the Oxwash operations, and as well as targeting road traffic pollution, the company processes are built towards tackling the decarbonisation of the laundry process, and microplastic pollution in the water system.
“The current industry is very polluting, using systems that shed harmful chemicals and synthetic non-biodegradable fibres into the local water system and oceans on a wider scale.
“The Oxwash process is nontoxic and saves up to 60 per cent of the water consumption versus a typical domestic or commercial washing machine. On average we save 174kg/CO2 per tonne of laundry washed, 25litres of water per wash, and prevent 100million plastic microfibers from going out into our oceans each day.”
Oxwash currently operates in Cambridge, Oxford and London lagoons to other UK cities and internationally to the US and Europe, helping tackle these key environmental issues across the globe.
