The solution
In August 2017 the BBC reported on a device from Nottingham Trent University and product design firm Tochi Tech Ltd. A typical budget washing machine carries 25kg of concrete to stop it moving during the spin cycle. The researchers' replacement is a sealable plastic container that is filled with water only once the machine is in place.
The BBC said swapping the concrete for empty containers cuts a machine's weight by a third, making it easier and cheaper to move and, if it became standard, lightening the trucks that carry machines. Because water is less dense than concrete, the containers must be bigger than the blocks to make up the weight difference. Undergraduate Dylan Knight tested it by replacing one of the two concrete blocks in a machine, the one on top, as proof of concept.
Why it worked
Concrete does its job only while the machine is running, not while it is shipped.
Water is free at the destination and provides the weight when needed.
Lighter machines mean lighter loads, lower fuel use and fewer back injuries for handlers.
What can be applied
If a heavy part is only needed at the destination, ship it empty and fill it there.
Aftermath
The researchers estimated that with about 3.5 million washing machines sold annually in the UK, the change could save around 44,625 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year (a research estimate, not a measured result). The BBC reported the firm was in discussions with manufacturers, who would want to be sure there is no downside; no adoption was reported.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE