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Each year, around 92 million tonnes of clothing and textile waste are produced across the globe. Even more concerning, 85% of that ends up in landfills, often long before those clothes have truly been worn out. While we may not immediately link fashion waste to how we wash and care for clothes, our laundry habits hold immense potential to reduce this environmental toll.
At Electrolux, we believe caring for clothes shouldn’t be an afterthought. It starts with fabric care education; empowering designers and consumers alike to make choices that help garments last longer and reduce textile waste from the very beginning.
A Partnership with Purpose
We’ve partnered with Sydney’s Whitehouse Institute of Design, one of Australia’s leading fashion schools, to champion a new way of thinking. Together, we’re working to embed fabric care education directly into the design curriculum, equipping the next generation of designers with the knowledge to create garments that not only look good, but last longer.
This is about more than aesthetics. It’s about asking the right questions from the start: How will this piece be worn? Washed? Preserved over time?
Designing with Care in Mind
Whitehouse students visited our Experience Centre in Mascot for hands-on training with the new UltimateCare 900 washer and dryer, learning how cutting-edge care technology can play a key role in reducing fashion waste.
This shift in perspective champions conscious design and encourages students to create fashion with purpose and pieces that will stand the test of time both in style and structure.
Real-World Learning in Studio
To bring these lessons to life, we’ve installed the UltimateCare 900 Front Load Washing Machine and UltimateCare 900 Steam Heat Pump Dryer in the Whitehouse classrooms. This means students can test their designs in different care scenarios, using real fabric technologies to understand how various textiles react.
From UltraMix, which gently pre mixes detergent at low temperatures, to IntelliDose, which automatically uses the right amount of detergent, students are learning how small decisions can make a big difference with the UltimateCare 900 Front Load Washing Machine. Electrolux washing and drying innovations are designed with fabric care front of mind. Programs like Vapour Refresh help students imagine how to quickly revive a garment without a full wash, perfect for keeping samples fresh between presentations.
Meanwhile, Woolmark-certified WoolCare ensures even their most delicate pieces are washed gently, maintaining shape and softness over time. On the drying side, the UltimateCare 900 Steam Heat Pump Dryer uses 3DSense technology to detect humidity deep within fabrics, adjusting the cycle to prevent over-drying. Paired with DelicateCare, it gives students the confidence to explore new materials, knowing their designs will hold their structure wash after wash.
Celebrating Sustainable Thinking
To further support these ideas, Electrolux and Whitehouse have introduced a student grants program aimed at encouraging the next generation of designers to think beyond aesthetics. The goal? To reward projects that combine creative flair with conscious, future-focused thinking.
These grants recognise students who take a holistic approach to design, those who consider not just the fabric or silhouette, but how a garment will be cared for, worn, and valued over time. It’s about celebrating innovation that’s as thoughtful as it is expressive, and empowering students to design with both style and sustainability in mind.
A More Conscious Future Starts Here
Rooted in our Swedish values of simplicity, innovation, and environmental responsibility, this partnership is about more than installing machines or running workshops. It’s about sparking a mindset shift that redefines what good design looks like.
Because when we care better, we wear better. And that’s a future worth designing.