Plastic counterweight has concrete solution to carbon emissions

According to researchers at Nottingham Trent University, the solution could save the UK almost 45,000 tonnes of CO₂ a year in transportation.

Prof Amin Al-Habaibeh, a professor in intelligent engineering systems, and undergraduate Dylan Knight, who studies BSc (Hons) Product Design, developed the counterweight to stop washing machines from vibrating during spin cycles.

Currently, manufacturers use concrete blocks weighing over 25kg to prevent washing machines vibrating heavily.

The use of concrete increases appliance weight and creates carbon emissions through the production and transportation of the material.

Knight tested the vacuum formed plastic prototype – which weighs less than 3kg when unfilled – and found it was as effective as a concrete counterweight when filled with water.

Prof Al-Habaibeh explained that the density of concrete is about 2400kg/m3, while the density of water is 1000kg/m3.

“So what we have done is to increase the size of the water container to take as much space as possible,” he said. “There are other ideas to compensate for the difference in density which we are developing with our industrial partner, but they are commercially sensitive to share at this stage.”