A new washing machine design uses 90 percent less water and reduces utility bills by 30 percent by cleaning clothes with tiny plastic beads.
The machine by UK company Xeros Ltd uses 3mm-long nylon beads that can get into all crevices and folds of clothing and absorb stains and dirt. Stephen Burkinshaw, a polymer chemist at Leeds University, discovered that nylon beads at 100 percent humidity could attract stains away from clothing and into the center of the beads, preventing deposition back onto the clothes.
The machine uses a small amount of water to dampen the clothes and to reach the right humidity level, then the drum is flooded with the beads. When the cycle is complete the beads drain away with the water to be reused hundreds of times.
I'm sure you've already started questioning what happens to these plastic beads once they're done scrubbing clothes. The company wants to eventually create a closed loop where the saturated beads can be refreshed and reused in the machines, but for the time being they will be collected and recycled.
Xeros says that if all of the US used these machines instead of regular washing machines, it would save 1.2 billion tonnes of water per year and the CO2 emissions saved would equal taking 5 million cars off the road. The machine would also eliminate the need to dry clean many delicates, another environmental benefit. The Xeros machine is expected to be available by the end of next year.
via Guardian
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Comments (22)
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written by Eric, March 11, 2010
Right. And use a full barrel of oil per load in producing and transporting those beads.
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written by Gil Friend, March 11, 2010
(And the Guardian source isn't much better).
They say "for the time being they [the millions of nylon beads] will be collected and recycled" -- by whom? People doing laundry at home? Not likely. The sewage treatment works? Not happy -- or likely.
Either this is "green sorta but not really" or someone's not telling us something. ( wonder too if they've factored the net energetics of the nylon beads...
They say "for the time being they [the millions of nylon beads] will be collected and recycled" -- by whom? People doing laundry at home? Not likely. The sewage treatment works? Not happy -- or likely.
Either this is "green sorta but not really" or someone's not telling us something. ( wonder too if they've factored the net energetics of the nylon beads...
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written by Molly, March 11, 2010
This is really fascinating- are there any numbers in regards to the machine/bead cost?
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written by Stefan Hayden, March 11, 2010
seems like you would just get pockets full of beads.
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written by hyperspaced, March 12, 2010
It wouldn't be that great of an idea to use beads on hospitals' laundry, unless the beads can absorb germs too 
...
That's definitely not the way to go green people.
... That's definitely not the way to go green people.
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written by Evan, March 12, 2010
Maybe Nylon beads help in water conservation, but they sure won't help with the sewerage system- andthe wildlife therein.
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written by Andrew, March 12, 2010
I question whether this is green. How many of these beads will end up in the bellies of fish and foul and how many of the rest will end up circling the great garbage vortex in the ocean? How many will trash perfectly functioning washer to switch to this? Interesting way to continue our reliance on oil under a green umbrella.
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written by Livia, March 14, 2010
The promise of water-use reduction and the supposed cutting of CO2 emissions are very appealing, but I have to agree with the others in the nylon beads' production doubts and their treatment once disposed of or recycled. I can imagine myself making regular trips to some specified store or location to recycle and whatnot my washing machine's beads, but I really don't see many other mexicans doing the same thing as I would. And I'm just talking about my own country.
That's is a very sharp double-edged sword there.
That's is a very sharp double-edged sword there.
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written by casey, March 14, 2010
1. what guarantees efficient bead draining? I see lots of beads in clothing pockets
2. Won't the beads tear up the more delicate clothes?
3. How often would they have to be changed, and how expensive is that? (And how much carbon is created by producing and transporting them?)
4. The beads may work on the visual stain, but can they absorb or deal with odor? Will the clothes smell fresh?
5. Can they be used in conjunction with soap or fabric softener?
2. Won't the beads tear up the more delicate clothes?
3. How often would they have to be changed, and how expensive is that? (And how much carbon is created by producing and transporting them?)
4. The beads may work on the visual stain, but can they absorb or deal with odor? Will the clothes smell fresh?
5. Can they be used in conjunction with soap or fabric softener?
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written by Alex, March 15, 2010
I agree with the consensus here that there are some serious problems with this. However, the promise is great too.
Combined with high heat (maybe steam) for sterilization this sounds like a great way for the linen services that every hotel and motel use for sheets and towels to save money and water and energy.
1. Less pockets in the sheets to collect beads.
2. Large scale in one place makes the service of bead recycling more efficient.
3. They have a profit motive
4. Since I live in California, saving water sounds very attractive.
Combined with high heat (maybe steam) for sterilization this sounds like a great way for the linen services that every hotel and motel use for sheets and towels to save money and water and energy.
1. Less pockets in the sheets to collect beads.
2. Large scale in one place makes the service of bead recycling more efficient.
3. They have a profit motive
4. Since I live in California, saving water sounds very attractive.
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written by Keith Fetz, March 15, 2010
This is a great idea...I love all of the innovation that's going on now for conserving one of our most valuable resources WATER!!! I would love to get your thoughts on our $20 device that saves at least 16,000 gallons of water a year per toilet...www.greenflush.net
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written by Astrid Jones, March 15, 2010
While I agree that there are potential issues, a lot of these comments seem to be missing the point that the beads are only recycled after 100s of loads.
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written by Victoria Elmore, March 15, 2010
Although I'm all for cutting water costs and reducing what is being used, I think the use of these 'beads' may need to be re-thought. Like Andrew said, I question whether this is 'green' as currently the beads can't be re-used so where will they end up?...
Please take a look at my blog and leave comments: http://victoriaelmore.wordpress.com
Also take a look at www.birminghamrecycled.co.uk
Please take a look at my blog and leave comments: http://victoriaelmore.wordpress.com
Also take a look at www.birminghamrecycled.co.uk
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written by ian, March 16, 2010
Lots of interesting comments. How about the cost to the environment to replace all those washing machines out there? You are talking millions. There is the cost of manufacturing the new system and the cost of disposing of the old ones. Sounds like a bunch of green-washing to me.
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written by TK, March 16, 2010
You all do know that the world isn't going to turn green overnight? There's no magical "green switch" that we can flip and suddenly make everything environmentally friendly. By putting washers like these into new homes and developments, it's a great step forward in the conversion process to a more environmentally friendly world.
I'm sure they could find way to produce the beads from recycled bottles or other plastics, meaning no increased oil dependency, and like the article says the beads are reused for hundreds of washes and the company is working on a solution for how to deal with the beads once they've been used up.
It's not as though the company is claiming this is a perfect product that will end all carbon emissions and save all the water on the planet, but it's a step in the right direction and I honestly think it's disgusted to see people on a green community like this bashing a company that's trying to use new technology and innovation to help us take steps toward a greener world. Unless you all would rather that we just keep on building water hungry washers in every new home, hotel, and hospital that's built around the world.
I'm sure they could find way to produce the beads from recycled bottles or other plastics, meaning no increased oil dependency, and like the article says the beads are reused for hundreds of washes and the company is working on a solution for how to deal with the beads once they've been used up.
It's not as though the company is claiming this is a perfect product that will end all carbon emissions and save all the water on the planet, but it's a step in the right direction and I honestly think it's disgusted to see people on a green community like this bashing a company that's trying to use new technology and innovation to help us take steps toward a greener world. Unless you all would rather that we just keep on building water hungry washers in every new home, hotel, and hospital that's built around the world.
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written by erinn, March 17, 2010
You're right (all you nay-sayers above) they don't have all the kinks worked out yet, but isn't it cool that someone has proposed and whole new vision for washing-strike that- cleaning clothes.
Good luck and great work.
Good luck and great work.
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written by me, March 19, 2010
so how do the beads not get stuck in all of the pockets and everything else? i mean, are we to expect that ALL of the beads will get rinsed back down? I mean, that's the biggest thing for me I think.... I wouldn't want a ton of plastic balls constantly being in my pockets whenever I try to get my keys out... It's a good idea, but not very practical I don't think..
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written by Karen, March 24, 2010
I remember being shocked and almost killed by my mother-in-law's wringer washing machine. I plugged it in whilst standing in a puddle of water. It sent me flying across the utility room after it was through zapping the blue blazins out of me, and I crashed into the wall. I'll take the beads any day of the week, thank you...
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written by Raychell, March 26, 2010
What about all of the beads that get stuck in the clothing? you can not tell me that when I wash cargo pants with tiny beads that drain away tons of those beads are not going to end up in the pockets... so do I have to empty out every little crevice of my clothing post wash? then dump the beads back into the washer? or drop them on the ground by accident?
I like that people are thinking of great wash to help the environment, keep up the work, I just don't think this device has hit fool proof yet.
I like that people are thinking of great wash to help the environment, keep up the work, I just don't think this device has hit fool proof yet.
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written by Carol, March 28, 2010
Let's look at all the implications here.
1. If 10 people in my condo block did their laundry all at once with these micro-beads, might we not cause water pipe blockage and water back-up that will flood our laundry rooms and homes? A poor way to conserve water, I say.
2. These beads are made of nylon, you say. Guess what nylon is made of: petrochemicals.
3. I'm not submitting MY dry-cleanables, or my washables, either, to being pounded by millions of micro-beads. Clothes washed this way will literally "erode" after several washings. My dry-cleaner already uses a super-friendly system without chemicals, and my dry-cleanables last for decades with their careful cleaning system. Most of my washables last for decades, too.
Conclusion: Saving water is important, but not if I have to spend half my annual income replacing my entire wardrobe a few times a year. (I earn less than $10K a year right now. Thanks to great investments I made in clothes many years ago, I only spend about $100 a year on my wardrobe these days.)
1. If 10 people in my condo block did their laundry all at once with these micro-beads, might we not cause water pipe blockage and water back-up that will flood our laundry rooms and homes? A poor way to conserve water, I say.
2. These beads are made of nylon, you say. Guess what nylon is made of: petrochemicals.
3. I'm not submitting MY dry-cleanables, or my washables, either, to being pounded by millions of micro-beads. Clothes washed this way will literally "erode" after several washings. My dry-cleaner already uses a super-friendly system without chemicals, and my dry-cleanables last for decades with their careful cleaning system. Most of my washables last for decades, too.
Conclusion: Saving water is important, but not if I have to spend half my annual income replacing my entire wardrobe a few times a year. (I earn less than $10K a year right now. Thanks to great investments I made in clothes many years ago, I only spend about $100 a year on my wardrobe these days.)
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written by Zach Smith, May 12, 2010
There is am alternative to using beads. These are the nearly waterless washing machines that change the pH balance in water to that of the pH balance of laundry detergents. It works in much the same way as detergents in getting rid of soil, dirt and grime in your clothes. These washers are now available. Haier has a model now out in the market.
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