UL Environment Certifies First Refrigerator to New Sustainability Standard for Household Appliances; Whirlpool Continues Role as Marketplace Leader

Certification to new AHAM-CSA-UL sustainability standard for household refrigeration appliances demonstrates that Whirlpool Corporation's products meet quantifiable lifecycle-based environmental performance criteria

MARIETTA, Ga., June 14, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- UL Environment, a business unit of UL (Underwriters Laboratories), announced today that leading appliance manufacturer Whirlpool Corporation has become the first company in the marketplace to achieve certification of its products to AHAM 7001/CSA SPE 7001-12/UL 7001, Sustainability Standard for Household Refrigeration Appliances.

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Developed collaboratively by UL Environment (ULE), the Association of Home Appliances Manufacturers (AHAM), and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), this new sustainability standard requires that refrigerators meet lifecycle-based environmental performance criteria across five categories: materials, energy consumption during use, manufacturing and operations, product performance, and end-of-life. The first products to meet these criteria and achieve UL Environment certification to the standard are Whirlpool Corporation's French Door-style, bottom-mount household refrigerators.

"The home appliances industry has a remarkable opportunity to help advance sustainability in new and exciting ways, and we applaud Whirlpool for taking this leadership role and pursuing certification to the AHAM-CSA-UL standard," says Sara Greenstein, president of UL Environment. "We are confident that Whirlpool Corporation's forthcoming certification will set the stage for other refrigerator manufacturers to follow suit, spurring positive transformation toward environmental stewardship across the home appliances industry."

Based on a 100-point system, AHAM 7001/CSA SPE 7001-12/UL 7001 requires that a product earn a minimum of 60 points, with at least one point from each of the five categories, to comply. A bonus category for innovation awards up to 10 additional points, though projects may not exceed 100 points.

"Whirlpool is proud to be the first to offer refrigerators that meet the new AHAM-CSA-UL Sustainability Standard," says JB Hoyt, director of sustainability and regulatory affairs for Whirlpool Corporation and vice chair of the AHAM taskforce. "We worked on the task force to advance an extremely broad view of sustainability that fits with what consumers are looking for when shopping for appliances."

The following Whirlpool refrigerator models have achieved certification to the new AHAM-CSA-UL standard:

Development of the standard began in 2010, following the principles of ISO 14020 and ISO 14024. In early 2012, the draft standard underwent a pilot phase to allow manufacturers to test its applicability and functionality prior to publication. In the coming months, UL Environment, AHAM, and the CSA Group will form consensus committees to move the standard through the U.S. and Canadian accredited standards processes, following the requirements of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Standards Council of Canada (SCC).

About UL Environment
UL Environment, a business unit of UL, works to advance global sustainability, environmental health, and safety by supporting the growth and development of environmentally preferable products, services, and organizations. We help companies achieve their sustainability goals—and help purchasers, specifiers, retailers, governments, and consumers find products they can trust. UL Environment offers environmental claim validations, multi-attribute product certifications, environmental product declarations, indoor air quality certification, product emissions testing, organizational sustainability certification, and consulting. For more information, visit www.ul.com/environment.

About Whirlpool Corporation
Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $19 billion in 2011, 68,000 employees, and 66 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world.  The company markets Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, Bauknecht and other major brand names to consumers in nearly every country around the world.  Additional information about the company can be found at www.whirlpoolcorp.com.

SOURCE UL Environment