TECHNOLOGY WATERLESS WASHING MACHINE:A START-UP COMPANY spun out from the University of Leeds in the UK has developed the world's first virtually waterless washing machine prototype that also cuts energy and detergent usage.
Commercialisation and technology consulting firm Cambridge Consultants helped Xeros commission an independent life-cycle assessment for its prototype washing machine, which verified over six months that 90 per cent of the water normally used for washing could be replaced with reusable nylon polymer beads.
The beads enable the machine to clean clothes in less time than traditional machines, using 30 per cent less energy and significantly less detergent than normally required. The electricity saving is increased further by reducing the need to tumble dry.
If all domestic washing in the US was done in this way, it would translate into a saving of 1.2 billion tonnes of water - the equivalent to 17 million swimming pools - per year. Or put another way, if all US homes converted to the Xeros system, the CO2 reduction is equivalent to taking five million cars off the roads, the company says.
The discovery that certain types of polymer beads could be used as a cleaning agent was made after harnessing over 30 years of research by Prof Stephen Burkinshaw, a leading polymer chemist at the University of Leeds.
Xeros aims to have a commercially viable product in production by the end of 2010. The company's first target will be the commercial washing market including hotels, care homes and laundrettes.
Downstream, the company will look to license the technology to domestic machine manufacturers, enabling them to capture the considerably larger domestic market.
The global market for laundry products next year is expected to reach around €35 billion.
"We are still at a relatively early stage of this development, but we have demonstrated that it is possible to develop a commercially viable washing machine that is capable of delivering all the benefits Xeros expects from its revolutionary technology," said Nathan Wrench, programme manager at Cambridge Consultants.
