Meet the entrepreneurs who found a use for your recycled shower water

England is set to run short of water in 25 years. It’s an uncomfortable truth that we aren’t really talking about and very little is being done at Government level to take action. That’s why Joanna Power and Paramveer Bhachu, entrepreneurs and founders of Lylo Products, have taken matters into their own hands and designed a portable washing machine that uses recycled shower water to wash clothes.

Inspiration first came to Power and Bhachu at university. They noticed the volume of water disappearing down shower drains and asked themselves how it could be reused before being channelled back into the ocean. After one frustrating experience too many walking to the laundrette only to find broken washing machines, the pair decided to put their backgrounds in product design to good use and design their own machine aimed at students.

The first step in Lylo’s research was to investigate psychological barriers for potential customers. They discovered the main mental obstacle is believing that the recycled water the washing machine uses is really clean. Upon further questioning, they discovered that “the decisive factor for judging cleanliness is the water’s appearance.” In order to build confidence that the water is clean, the pair adapted the CAD models to have transparent sides so the customer can see the clean water for themselves. They also made blue the focus of Lylo’s brand colour palette, embracing the colour’s associations with good hygiene.

Power and Bhachu are conscious that “governing systems are not paying attention to scientists and young people.” Bhachu points out that people can have a hard time accepting the truth because “twenty-five years [until we run out of water] seems short and doesn’t seem real.” Like many young people, they are frightened at the prospect of the challenges our planet faces but are using their trepidation as a catalyst. They encourage other young designers to step up and bring their creativity to the fore too: “We have a lot to be proud of as young innovators… and are very big advocates for young innovators to come forward.”