Sept. 4, 2008 - Sanyo's new Aqua washing machine, first introduced at last year's Consumer Recycling Show, recycles water for future washing cycles (via GoodCleanTech).

The machine uses ozone-infused air to disinfect the final rinse water, which allows it to be reused without disposal. The process saves 30 liters of water in each wash, according to Sanyo.

Ozone-infused air is also used in the washer's dry-cleaning function which can disinfect and deodorize clothes without water.

Ozone gas is commonly used in home air purifiers, to sanitize food, and in battling the spread of some viruses.

Saving water and energy are becoming big-selling features for washing machine producers. GE just kicked off a marketing campaign boasting the water savings of its new frontload washers.

Sanyo is also improving the energy efficiency of its B2B products as well. It recently announced the release of its redesigned lab refrigeration systems aimed at lowering operating costs for biomedical laboratory facilities.