Eco Factor: Energy-efficient washing machine recycles water for continuous operation.

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.

The Dark Side:

The washing machine moves with force on a wall, hence it could be a potential danger for the kids in your house. Another drawback that we see in the design is that the user would have to move clothes from the washing section to the drying section manually, which might be a hassle for those who don’t have much time at their disposal. Moreover, the design seems a bit too complicated to be mass produced.

Via: TheDesignBlog/ProductDesignForums359406