- Published by
- Asian Development Bank (ADB)
This brief highlights laundry as a widespread but neglected development challenge. Nearly 4 billion people wash clothes by hand, often spending 10–15 hours a week on physically demanding work, with implications for water use, health, gender equity, energy consumption, and microplastic pollution.
Despite these impacts, laundry remains largely overlooked within WASH and development policy.
In response, ADB has launched the Laundry Transformation initiative, introducing a systems-based 'Laundry Systems Framework' and 'Laundry Ladder' to guide progress. The initiative promotes cross-sector collaboration, research and pilot solutions that combine improved manual tools, water-efficient and cold-water detergents, inclusive service models, and supportive policy reform.
By positioning laundry within broader water, health and sustainability agendas, it aims to catalyse scalable, context-appropriate innovations and mobilise public and private partners to 'share the load.'