BENTON HARBOR, MI — Whirlpool Corp., the Benton Harbor, MI-based appliance giant, is accelerating its commitment to sustainable operations through investments in renewable energy, manufacturing plant retrofits and on-going energy, water and waste reduction projects, the company announced.
The publicly traded manufacturer last month issued an update on progress toward achieving “Net Zero” targets that the company first announced in May of 2021.
“Our vision at Whirlpool is to improve life at home,” said Whirlpool Corp. Chairman and CEO Marc Bitzer. “We know fulfilling that vision requires us to think not just in terms of the four walls around us and the communities in which we live, but of the planet that sustains us.”
Whirlpool announced a series of milestones tied to the global reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as initiatives aimed at driving positive environmental and social impacts.
“It’s not too far into the future that we envisage manufacturing home appliances in factories that are 100% renewable-powered with off-site and expanded on-site wind farms and solar panels, and an end-of-life product recycling program which directly feeds into our own supply chain for new products,” said Ron Voglewede, director of sustainability.
Through a combination of innovative design and technology to improve energy and water efficiency, as well as expanding on-site renewables, additional Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (VPPAs) and green energy procurement, Whirlpool targets a nearly one-third reduction in its global carbon footprint in its operations, corporate executives said.