Washing Machine
In 2008 we purchased an AAA-rated ISE 10 washing machine from Independent Service Engineering. .
Their brief philosophy statement and business plan below made us realise that (a) we wanted one of their machines and (b) wondered when other consumer goods businesses will begin to make the sustainable product building model mainstream.
"Independent Service Engineering (ISE) was formed to produce long life span domestic appliances.
We believe that environmental damage in the East is primarily caused by factories making products for consumption in the West. If the products we buy last longer the need to produce new ones is reduced and so is the environmental impact.
To this end we chose partner factories from across Europe to work with our panel of engineers to produce our own brand of domestic products with maximising life span in mind.
Our machines are built to the highest standards, with long guarantees (insurance underwritten). They are designed to be easy to repair by local independent repairers who are trained and equipped by us with spare parts supplied to them with no mark up ; thus making out of guarantee repairs good value relative to a replacement. We intend to reduce global CO2 emissions by shrinking the UK domestic appliance market and encouraging repair over replacement. Not very attractive if your business relies exclusively on the sales of new products, therefore you will not see ISE in conventional electrical retailers."
We bought the ISE 10 model which is guaranteed for ten years to be free of parts and labour repair charges. It was delivered and installed by the same local electrical shop owner who will repair and maintain it for the next ten years. We have not seen him again since delivery. It was pricey but no more so than buying two or three machines over ten years.
As the ISE website says:
"We believe ISE 10 is the best engineered, most reliable domestic washing machine on the market bar none. Each component is designed to last at least 8000 cycles and every machine is tested at the factory prior to dispatch. If you did one wash per day 365 days per year that’s just under 22 years of use. It has a ten year parts and labour guarantee in a domestic setting."
You just want to hug this company.
More at http://www.iseappliances.co.uk 
UPDATE AUTUMN 2014
On trying to get a small issue fixed on the machine, we have just discovered that ISE Appliances have now gone Out of Business so all the benefits listed on this page have gone out of the window. We now need to quickly replace this machine just 5 and a half years after buying it. This was a dream of a more sustainable proposition which has sadly now turned into a financial mess for all concerned.
Read more about how the Insured Product model failed.
UPDATE SUMMER 2015
The ISE Dishwasher acquired in 2012 has also gone belly up after just 3 years. With no ISE to repair it under the free of charge under guarantee, it is being replaced with a new Bosch. Not what we had hoped for to complement our lifestyle.
ISE have seriously let down those who thought they were doing the most environmentallt considerate purchase.