Consumers in 2030 resources:
Waterless washing machine
This document accompanies the Which?
Consumers in 2030 report.
It contains creative resources to help you
step-in to the shoes of a waterless washing
machine user in 2030 and explore the
implications. They are most effective when
used in a small group, allowing you to
bounce off one another’s suggestions,
questions and ideas.
The next slide explains how you can use
these resources.
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How to use these resources
Step 1: take a look at the Consumers in 2030 report to find out how economic,
social and environmental trends could shape consumers’ world in 2030.
Step 2: read and digest the contents of this document. It contains:
1.
2.
3.
4.
A future consumer need (that doesn’t exist today)
An imaginary family’s experience of that need in 2030
An illustration of a product or service that answers that need – in this case the
waterless washing machine
‘Weak signals’ that are the seeds of the waterless washing machine in today’s
world
Step 3: as a group, put yourselves in that family’s shoes:
•
•
•
What is life like for this 2030 family?
Why is this product or service attractive for them in this 2030 world?
How does the product or service work in practice?
Step 4: as a group, analyse:
•
•
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What are the pros and cons for consumers?
What issues and areas of detriment might arise?
What might consumers need from a consumer champion in 2030?
Step 5: as a group, and individually, consider:
•
What are the implications for us today?
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Waterless washing machine
> Consumers in 2030
Waterless washing machine is one of five products and services we might find at home in
the UK in 2030.
The 100% clean, 1% water tariff allows you to lease a high-tech ‘waterless’ washing
machine from your water company to dramatically reduce your water consumption, and
the cost of laundry.
In today’s world the waterless washing
machine is either not feasible or not
desirable, or both. This is what makes
it useful. It is a practical expression of
the changes we might see in society at
large, in our life-styles, our household
budgets and in the innovations that
could hit the mainstream.
These resources give us
insight into the motivations
for new consumer markets
and enables Which? and
others to explore the positive
and negative sides of
consumers’ experience, to
inform their work.
Consumer experience
in 2030:
the Patel family
The plumbing in Serena and Mo’s rented house desperately needs
upgrading. Their finances are tight so saving money on basics like
water, rent, electricity and travel matters. Using their water meter,
they’ve taken all the little, low-cost steps they can to conserve water.
When their water company wrote to them offering a water-saving tariff
that would dramatically cut their water consumption without having to
get their landlord’s permission, they jumped at it.
The water used in laundry is a significant chunk of their water bill but
they can’t afford to buy a high-tech washing machine outright. The idea
of a ‘washing machine for life’ that saves water and can be upgraded
over time, and move with them if they move to a larger house, seems
like a no-brainer.
Cleaner without water
Saving water has gone from being seen
as totally unnecessary to smart and
desirable. Water costs are high and
increasing, particularly in the water
stressed South East. Combined with
the wide rollout of water meters, this
has made households keen to control
their water costs.
There’s an appetite for ways of saving
water and money that don’t require
sacrifice – including big up front costs
like buying new appliances. Consumers
relish long baths and hot showers and
are investing more in the look and feel
of their bathrooms than ever before.
Weak signals
Bathroom GP > weak signals
A new washing machine claims to use 90%
less water. The device, created by UK based
company Xeros Ltd, reduces water
consumption by using tiny nylon beads as
cleaning agents that attract stains away from
clothes. When the washing cycle is complete
the beads drain away leaving water that can be
used again for the next load. As well as saving
water, this claims to save money, by reducing
utility bills by 30%.
Engineers in China have created a
chemical coating that causes cotton
materials to clean themselves of stains
and remove odours when exposed to
sunlight. The researchers say the
treatment is cheap, non-toxic and
ecologically friendly. Retail experts say the
innovation could prove a hit with retailers
thanks to a growing demand for
‘functional clothing.’
Weak signals
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Weak signals
Weak signals
signals
All homes built since 1990 are fitted with
water meters, and in 2008 one-third of
domestic properties in England and Wales
were metered. According to Water UK, the
number is expected to increase in waterstressed regions to 80% by 2020 and 90%
by 2030.
Researchers at Princeton University have created a
flexible material that harvests record amounts of energy
when stressed.
The researchers say the material could be incorporated
into the soles of shoes to power portable electronics, or
even placed on a heart patient's lungs to recharge a
pacemaker as he breathes.
The energy-harvesting rubber sandwiches ribbons of a
piezoelectric material called PZT between pieces of
silicone.
When mechanically stressed, a piezoelectric material
generates a voltage that can be used to produce electrical
current; a current can also be converted back into
mechanical movement.
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A report by accountancy firm Deloitte,
enlisted Water Tight 2012, proposes that
tiered pricing is the way forward in tackling
water scarcity.
It concludes that the true value of water is
not adequately reflected by the current
pricing, but concedes that increasing water
prices will be a difficult political decision as
domestic water usage is considered a
basic human right.
Weak signals
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