With countries from around the world facing portable water crisis, it is becoming evident that water conservation now is not just a solution, it is a need. However, if we employ certain eco-friendly innovations, it won’t be that difficult to conserve water. Furthermore, along with conserving water, we should waste it as little as we can. However, although we might do the best that we can, sometimes our machines don’t. And in this list, our washing machines are usually on the top. are. Therefore, it is necessary that we switch to eco-friendly washing machines like EcoDual that take care of both of your clothes and the water. Let us see some of the popular designs concepts that successfully achieve this purpose.
EcoDual
Eco Factor: Water recycling washing machine saves energy as well.
Designed by Industrial designer Max Germano, the EcoDual washing machine saves energy and precious water. Both of these are mostly misused by washing machines available on the market at present. A normal washing machine uses hundreds of liters of precious water. On the other hand, EcoDual promises to reduce water consumption by as much as 50%.
The EcoDual is designed with two separate tanks. These have washing capacity of 6kg and 2kg respectively. For heavy washing, the user makes use of the larger tank and the smaller one is used for washing delicate clothes.
The washing machine collects water in a tank located at the bottom part of the washer, which is then filtered and reused in subsequent washing cycles. The EcoDual is also equipped with a deodorization system that can be used for foul smelling clothes.
This system blows jets of oxygen and ozone in the clothes killing the germs that cause the bad smell. Thus you can take the bad smell out of your favorite shirt, and that too without water!
Thanks: [Max Germano]
Some more innovative washing machine ideas like EcoDual
1. retroGRADE front load washing machine
Home appliances are becoming smarter with every passing day, helping you economize the use of energy while helping the environment. Although research has proved that the best way of washing clothes is by hand; most of us confide in using them owing to our hectic lives. Carl McGreavy, a graduate from the University of Central Lancashire decided to reenact the mechanism of handwashing. He did so with his latest washing machine prototype, christened the retroGRADE.
Looking at the pictures of the retroGRADE, the first obvious thing that strikes us is that it is a front loading machine. This obviously implies that it will use comparatively lesser water and energy in comparison to top-load models. However, such machines are already available on the market. So where does innovation play a role in all this?
To begin with, the most remarkable feature of the machine is the ‘dolly’ inspired agitator placed in the center of its drum. The drum spins in opposite directions and allows the clothes to get rubbed against each other and against a perforated surface inside, replicating the mechanism of handwashing using a washboard.
Another impressive feature of the machine is its lightweight. This owes to the fact that the water tank of the washing machine itself acts as the counterweight and when it is empty, transporting the washing machine becomes real easy. Therefore, we can conclude that since there is no concrete counterweight, the machine will weigh lesser when empty and its carbon footprint will reduce.
The designer claims that no matter what the handwashing mechanism of the machine will not compromise a bit on cleaning your clothes and that soon he will also come up with a solution to the maintenance problem of washing machines as well.
2. Re-Cycle
If you weren’t really impressed with a washing machine based on the human digestive system, here is another chance for you to wash your clothes in a green way. Developed for the Whirlpool 2008 Contest, the Re-Cycle is a sustainable washing machine that not only keeps up to the theme of “Future of Water” of the contest, but also saves a lot of energy in the process.
The washing machine incorporates three similar looking tanks that all have different tasks to perform. One of them is used for washing, the other one for drying and the last one is a filter and a water tank. The laundry center spins clockwise, impelling water by gravity from the washing machine to the tank and vice versa.
Once the clothes have been washed, the water used in the process is collected in the tank. It gets filtered there and is ready to be used for the next wash. The machine depends on gravity to move water from one tank to another. This process not only makes the machine efficient, but it also saves a lot of energy that is used by water pumps in conventional washing machines.
3. Laundering pedal-powered concept washing machine
Designed by Shang-Che Wu, the Laundering is a conceptual washing machine. It doesn’t need electricity to wash and then dehydrate clothes. The concept uses pedals to drive a coaxial bi-directional rotating mechanism. This generates high cleaning two-way flow to clean all dirty laundry.
The concept, according to Wu, helps in saving time, strength and energy that would normally be used by hand-washing. Moreover, since the concept doesn’t require any electricity, it could help people residing in underdeveloped and developing nations as well.
4. Beko’s eco-friendly washing machine
Just devote 14 minutes and your laundry would be washed. Yes, you got it right. This dream-like situation has come true with Beko’s new Eco-friendly washing machine.
This A++-rated washing machine is indeed a marvelous appliance, especially at a time when whole world is jostling with power-crisis. Its sheer quickness, enabling it to wash laundry quickly, saves a lot of energy. And the unique electronic water control system calculates the exact amount of water required according to the type and quantity of the laundry, which saves a lot of water that usually gets wasted during washing.
In short, it could be said, with eco-award in its possession; the new eco-friendly machine is must for an eco-friendly lifestyle.
6. The million beads eco-friendly washing machine
Xeros with the help of research conducted at the University of Leeds has taken the world by a surprise. The company has walked into uncharted territory with a new washing machine that depends upon 1.3 million nylon balls for work. These washing machines use small polymer balls filled in the washer drum as cleaning agents.
It is observed that using nylon balls as cleaning agents has a similar effect on clothes like beating the garment on a rock near a river. This forms the foundation of the concept of the Xeros’s million-bead eco-friend washing machine.
The washer drum of the washing machine is filled with 1.3 million beads, which when mixed with water, extract stains and dirt from garments. These tiny beads exit the drum of the washing machine through small holes while the washing cycle is on. These tiny beads can be reused for nearly 500 wash cycles. Xeros aims to make this experience of washing a relishing one. Therefore, they supply their very own detergent powder to provide the best washing results.
