Hand-Washing Reinvented image
Hand-Washing Reinvented image

Hand-Washing Reinvented

Ensuring Access to Clean Water

Freshwater is an essential resource for which global needs keep rising. Switzerland has extensive experience in the water sector and a network of tech companies that can help meet water-related challenges. One such start-up is Smixin, which has come up with a novel type of tap.

Hand-Washing Reinvented image

Washing your hands is a simple gesture – one which we repeat several times a day. On a global scale, the water-saving potential associated with it is enormous. The hand-washing system developed by Smixin reduces water consumption by 90% and soap and paper consumption by 60%, all while guaranteeing a high level of hygiene. Thanks to its simple solution of mixing the soap directly into the water, the Smixin device gets your hands spotless in just 12 seconds. The devices can be used in public toilets or outdoors, and are intended specifically for use in public spaces with a large number of people passing through, such as on public transport, and in canteens, schools and restaurants. Smixin devices are already widely used in Switzerland. Among other places, they can be found in the public toilets in the railway stations leading from Interlaken up to the Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe. And yet Switzerland accounts for just 20% of total sales. The devices can be found in some European countries, including in Berlin’s main railway station. But the vast majority are sold in Asia and the Middle East, in places such as Dubai, India, Hong Kong, Manila and Macau.