720084A Next Generation Water Saving Washing System for the Domestic MarketClosedGRD Development of PrototypeInnovate UKClimate change and water scarcity are two of the world’s most prolific environmental challenges. Although widely regarded as a basic necessity to daily life, the excessive consumption of water and energy within domestic laundering practices contribute significantly to these environmental challenges. Domestic washing machines consume c.50 litres per wash accounting for 13% of the water we use in our homes. In addition even efficient machines use c.1.0kWh of electricity with drying using at least a further 3kWh. This equates to an estimated 15% of all domestic energy consumption. Driven by legislative and end user demand, the efficiency of washing machines has improved significantly over the past decade yet the fundamental design constraints of conventional water systems allow limited further incremental improvement. Xeros Ltd offer a revolutionary alternative to conventional laundry systems that offers increased water efficiency (up to 80% saving) and increased energy efficiency (potential 50% saving) without any compromise to cleaning performance. Their approach is based on the unique properties of certain polymers to attract & absorb stain molecules. Within the process, stained garments are dampened & then tumbled in polymer beads rather than water in the presence of a small amount of detergent. Limited water is required to produce sufficient humidity to activate the process and achieve the desired levels of cleaning. Building on proven success in the Commercial Laundry market, Xeros, within the scope of the current project, aim to develop a pre-production prototype of a domestic system of comparable size, cost and appearance to current front loading machines. Once developed, the approach offers the potential to revolutionise the $100 billion global laundry sector, with potential savings to the UK consumer totalling more than £2bn per annum and a net reduction of 4.2 M tonnes of CO2 per annum