Trends Updates » save water

Sink-Toilet: Roca’s Sleek Water Saver

Radhika — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:24:43 +0000

It is elegant. It is simplistic. It is compact. And fits into small apartments easier. Yet it is a multi-tasking unit. A toilet-sink by Roca, the bathroom products major Roca. It can bring down water consumption by 25 per cent from a standard flush.

Combination products like this have been around in Japan for many years, but what is different about Roca’s product is that its wash come water closet looks more functional and has some new features unlike other products. It uses Roca’s `water-reuse technology’. It has an automatic cleaning system that avoids flushing bacteria into the unit’s in-built cistern. This avoids unpleasant odour. Practically speaking this saves that enormous waste of fuel in transporting treatable water to huge treatment plants and instead offers a home solution to reuse water from the wash basin. It also takes care of those lingering doubts in our minds if water we have used is sent to treatment plants or if it has been dumped in the ocean!

It may take ages before innovations to reuse all of used water come into effect. But this one is a step in that direction for sure.

The product was displayed at London Design Festival.

Via: Roca, Inhabitat

A Green Mean Shower Curtain for Water Wasters

Radhika — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:06:24 +0000

A new shower curtain could well be the curtailer of that bad shower habit of spoilt rich people who carelessly waste gallons of precious water. Designed by Elisabeth Buecher, it is called `My Shower Curtain is a Green Warrior’ and lives up to itsname. There are ways of rapping those who use too much water, and there are ways of using creativity to do it. The shower curtain inflates slowly around the one under the shower, leaving very little time for you to take a shower! Else, it traps you!

So each time you step under the shower, beware of the curtain that will engulf you like a devil. Apparently, the purpose of designing such a piece was aimed at showing to people how water overconsumption can be countered in `either a disturbing or gorgeous way’ using innovative material and inflatable technology.

The next time you step into a shower, you may want to remember the balloon that will get blown around you!

Chances are, that thanks to the shower curtain, some people may want to do away with the idea of shower, completely. Elisabeth Buecher is part of Puff and Flock, a new London based textiles collective.

Via: Mocolocco

Laundry Centre ‘Re-Cycle’ to Save the “Future of Water”

Ramya — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:18:53 +0000

With the world caught up in the storm of water scarcity, a duo of Mexican designers has come out with this brilliant Laundry Centre for the Whirlpool 2008 Contest and won the Vlab award for their water saving design. Inspired by the recycling logo, this three-piece design is called ‘Re-Cycle’. Each of these identical units carries out a different function independently and can be mounted on a wall.

Re-Cycle has a washing machine, which spins clock-wise to propel used water by gravity thus expelling the need for a pump to bring water to the water tank. The used water is filtered and purified here. The washing machine then starts its next cleaning cycle using the water that has been cleansed after the first cycle on pressing a button on the touch screen. The third unit is a dryer which uses steam to dry out the clothes.

Re-Cycle isn’t space-occupying and heavy. It uses less energy, less water and is more efficient and quiet compared to the usual washing machines. The designers need appreciation for this clever eco-friendly design they have discovered that would soon be launched into the market by Whirlpool.

Source: ProductDesignForums