So I'm sipping a coffee at a gentrified laundromat in Williamsburg right now. To clarify, this coffee is coming from the cafe at said gentrified laundromat, if you were wondering what level of gentrification we're talking here.
Anyways, despite the fact that this title sounds like the beginning to a Vice article (side note: my favorite headline they've ever concocted has been "I Went to a Steampunk Rave in Bushwick and Learned to Accept Gentrification") I'm actually here to talk about Celsius Laundromat's eco friendly model and how realistic their plan to disrupt the laundry industry is.
Located a five minute walk off of the Bedford Ave L train stop, Celsius Laundromat uses technology of Lisa White's Absolute Laundry Systems , a company that has invented a washing machine supposedly more sustainable. This idea is based off a multitude of reasons but the most notable, to myself at least, are the automatic water savings, eco-power, and reverse drying cylinders. AWS saves a claimed 30% of water through the machine's ability to determine the weight of your load and add the proper amount of water in order to avoid any waste. Along with this, the machine's eco power can tell once the the garments are dry and lower the amount of power being used. As for the the reverse drying cylinders, these babies are able to have your clothing dried in a much speedier fashion, saving on energy.
 |
| my roommate, Rachel, having a blast taking care of laundry we hadn't done since long before even moving |
Here's the thing though: how much of this is greenwashing?
As incredible as these developments in technology sound, Celsius' own website fails to provide any facts and figures towards how this method effects the environment and instead, uses buzzwords such as "environmentally educated" and "organic". In order to gain the scientific information I was looking for, I actually had to turn to Lisa White's website which wasn't even linked (and still wasn't all that informative). Though the laundromat's atmosphere is undoubtedly pleasant (I'm not gonna lie, I heavily enjoyed that whole experience), even the employees were unable to answer the basic questions on how the machines actually worked to help our environment. Instead, every question of mine was answered with points on how convenient the system was, from the speed of the entire process to how the machines will text you once your load is finished (some Jetsons level shit). Yes, it is inarguable Celsius' technology is innovative and cutting edge, but is their title of sustainable really suitable?
A huge red flag is the atmosphere, an ironic statement as that's pretty much their entire selling point. However, their organic coffee, metal straws, and sales stand filled with other sustainable product could easily be used as a "performance act" in order to have consumers cease to question the actual environmental benefits of the company. This obviously is the product of a much larger problem within greenwashing; we associate such words (i.e: organic) and objects like these aforementioned metal straws with helping our planet which leads us to just simply assume the service we are paying upwards of $7.50 a load for has to be positive towards the environment too.
Flat out: Celsius could be using these small objects like castile soap and metal straws in order to distract their customers from their main product, washing machines', environmental impact.
 |
| taking from Vogue's review of the business |
I think the ultimate question on top of Celsius being a greenwasher's paradise is how much of a paranoid and pessimistic bitch I am. Honestly, though my yuppie side certainly loved my time at Williamsburg's hottest new hangout spot (according to Vogue- you gotta read the article. It's bizarre), my bank account wasn't a fan and my laundromat across the street felt quite cheated on. This isn't to say I wouldn't go back, it just simply worries me how little facts and science is used behind the laundromat's marketing. If a business is to advertise themselves with such a heavy and complex title as sustainable can be, I need a higher level of transparency (come on Celsius! Bore me with that environmental science!) and refuse to just blindly trust something because their interior is cute and their coffee is incredible.
As a laundromat, I'm gonna have to put a pin on this one until further transparency is provided. However, I will give Celsius the title of best coffee shop on North 7th Street that has a laundromat downstairs.
-annie louise
