HOT 50: ELECTROLUX VACUUMS

Dyson tends to reign supreme when it comes to designing vacuum cleaners. However, 2010 saw home appliance manufacturer Electrolux play the trump card, when it launched its ’Vac from the Sea’ initiative to get plastic waste out of the world’s oceans and into appliances made from recycled plastics.

Electrolux is a global leader in the home appliance market, selling more than 40 million products to customers in 150 countries each year.

The company’s philosophy focuses on products that are thoughtfully designed and based on the needs of consumers and professionals.

Last year, Electrolux partnered a number of environmental organisations to highlight the issue of plastic pollution and raise awareness of the scarcity of recycled plastics. After scouring the world’s major oceans for plastics, five limited-edition, fully functional vacuum cleaners were constructed from debris harvested from the Pacific, the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the North Sea. Electrolux’s current Green range of vacuum cleaners consists of up to 70 per cent recycled plastics, with its ultimate vision of creating 100 per cent recycled ranges still in the pipeline.

The Hot 50 selectors praised this initiative for taking into account sustainable innovation and promoting recycled plastic from the sea as a viable material to consider in product design.