BENTON HARBOR, Mich., June 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Experts from Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) played a key role in helping to develop the industry's first ever sustainability standards. The sustainability standards for refrigerators, announced today by the Association for Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), are the result of cooperative work by UL Environment, CSA Group and the AHAM taskforce consisting of industry experts from Whirlpool Corporation and other manufacturers.

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The new standard encompasses a very broad view of an appliance's environmental impact – taking into account not only the  energy a refrigerator consumes while in use, but also examining the environmental impact of  the product manufacturing process, materials used, and how recyclable the product is.  This new standard moves the industry well beyond its historical leadership in energy efficiency alone.

"We are proud of our involvement in this task force as it is truly an extension of our 30-year leadership in advancing important energy and water conservation standards." said JB Hoyt the director of sustainability and regulatory affairs for Whirlpool Corporation and vice chair of the AHAM taskforce. "Whirlpool is also pleased to have recently developed, and now offer to consumers, a variety of refrigerators that meet this new standard."

Whirlpool Corporation has led the way in advancing green initiatives for home appliances for more than three decades. During that time the energy of appliances has declined from nearly 60 percent of an average home's energy use, to levels as low as 15 percent. The company now sells refrigerators that use the equivalent power of a 40-watt light bulb and dishwashers that use seven times less water than hand washing dishes. 

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 http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com.

SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation