BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Jan. 6, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Each year CES features the latest technological innovations from handheld gadgets and automotive to major home appliances. This year, Whirlpool brand is using its home appliance lineup to demonstrate how technology can turn anyone into an agent of change in their own home.
The Power of Philanthropy at the Touch of a Button
More and more, consumers are relying on technology to help them give back. According to The Digital Giving Index, while overall giving grew just three percent in 2014, online giving through technology grew nine percent over the same period. Whirlpool is further empowering people to use technology for good with the Connect to care™ program, which allows families to automatically donate to others in need by completing a small, routine act of care for their family – a load of laundry. Whirlpool debuted its Smart Top Load laundry pair as the first-ever in the U.S. to introduce the use of technology to power donations. Every time a load of laundry is washed, a small but meaningful donation can be made to Habitat to Humanity, to help create affordable housing in partnership with low-income families.
"Whirlpool sees connected appliances as an opportunity to build innovations that solve real family needs rather than technology for the sake of technology," said Chelsey Lindstrom, brand manager, Whirlpool brand. "We think smart tech can be 'smart with a heart' – used to make real impact on how people care for each other, not just by adapting to human behaviors, but also by giving families another way to support those in need."
Tackling the Issue of Food Waste
In the kitchen, the home appliance brand is also tackling the issue of food waste with the introduction of its revolutionary new French Door Refrigerator, which features a unique shelving system inspired by a traditional pantry configuration. In developing this fridge to be the industry's easiest to organize, Whirlpool designers and engineers conducted research to understand food trends and commonly purchased items. Researchers observed how consumers stored food in the refrigerator and tracked which items consumers reached for most often to design a refrigerator that could change the landscape of food storage based on better food visibility and organization.
Purposeful and Energy Efficient Technology
Whirlpool adds its Smart Top Load laundry pair with automated giving through the Connect to care™ program and its completely reimagined refrigerator to the award-winning ventless HybridCare™ Dryer. This dryer has a heat pump system that dries and recycles the hot, moist air produced, instead of wasting energy by having to vent the air out of the home. The HybridCare™ Heat Pump dryer reduces energy usage, using up to 73 percent less energy[1] with the Eco Dry setting, recycles energy and helps conserve precious resources.
Winner of nine prestigious 2016 CES Innovations Honoree Awards, the Whirlpool® Smart Top Load won in the Tech for A Better World category, while the French Door Bottom Mount Refrigerator brought home two awards in the SmartHome and Home Appliances categories and the HybridCare™ Heat Pump Dryer won in the Eco-Design and Sustainable Technologies category.
For more information, to join the conversation and see the company's care-centric product innovations and conceptual inspirations come to life, visit Whirlpool brand's booth #74352 in the Family & Technology Marketplace, located at the Sands Expo Center, or ces.whirlpool.com and follow #EveryDayCare.
About Whirlpool Brand
For more than one hundred years, Whirlpool brand has been inspired by how people care for their families. Whirlpool brand is designing home appliances that are focused on improving how families give and get the care they need with the latest technologies and innovations – whether that means most flexible refrigerator storage for all types of family needs, induction technology for efficient cooking and easier cleaning, or laundry pairs that sense and adapt to clothes with the latest in connected technologies. Whirlpool brand is part of Whirlpool Corporation, the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances. Whirlpool Corporation is also one of Habitat for Humanity's largest corporate partners for over 15 dedicated years, donating a refrigerator and range to every new Habitat for Humanity home built in North America. For more information on Whirlpool, please visit whirlpool.com/everydaycare or find us on Facebook at facebook.com/whirlpoolusa or Twitter at @WhirlpoolUSA. Additional information about the company can be found at whirlpoolcorp.com.
[1] Compared to pre-2004 traditional dryers, when paired with a matching washer, normal cycle, electric only
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SOURCE Whirlpool Brand