Coventry student designs a filter to reuse washing machine water

Joe Baker now intends to develop a prototype of his design

A student has designed a filter to make washing machine water reusable for people in deprived communities.

Coventry University student Joe Baker designed a system which removes contaminants like dirt and microplastics, allowing the water to be used for things like cooking.

He has won an award in DesignSpark's People Planet Product competition, and a £1,000 grant for its development.

Mr Baker now hopes to develop a prototype of his design.

"I've always wanted to get into humanitarian and sustainable engineering so this was a project that really appealed to me as it presented an opportunity to make a real difference to people's lives as well as contributing towards a concept that could make an everyday necessity like washing clothes far more sustainable moving forward," he said.

Nick Golsby, Associate Professor in the School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Automotive Engineering at Coventry University said: "We were absolutely delighted to see Joe's innovation and hard work pay off with this award.

"It's fantastic to see his desire to put the engineering knowledge and expertise he's building through his studies with us into practice for a humanitarian cause that could ultimately make a really profound difference to people from deprived backgrounds."