Eco-friendly Home Appliances — The Need of the Hour

1. Eco-friendly Home Appliances — The Need of the Hour There has been a constant evolution of a lot of things in our world. Humanity and technology have progressed hand in hand and there has been an amazing level of development because of this very reason. However, there has been a cost to this development. The cost has been environmental degradation and the resultant problems our planet has faced. The problems have grown and while it cannot be eradicated completely right away, there are always steps that we can take when it comes to protecting our environment. From the viewpoint of appliances, however, you wouldn’t be wrong to guess that saving the planet will need drastic measures.

2. Let's just say, you are partly right. There has been a lot of change when it comes to how people look at home appliances and their eco-friendliness towards the environment. As increasing numbers of consumers voice their concerns, manufacturers have been forced to respond and are seeking ways to improve the performance of their products. The introduction of the EU energy efficiency rating has speeded up this process and has had the unintended happy effect of sparking healthy competition between companies as to who can make the most eco-friendly appliance. As well as energy efficiency, the manufacturing of household goods remains a contentious issue as a toxic mix of hazardous metals, plastics, and chemicals are used to create them and worse, have the potential to leak into the land and contaminate soil and water if not disposed of properly. So then, the question is how do home appliances give back to the environment in a productive manner? Let’s have a look. Refrigerators Refrigerators One of the highest domestic energy consumption sources when it comes to home appliances are refrigerators. However, energy efficiency has dramatically improved and most fridges are around 30 percent more efficient than they were 30 years ago. One

3. problem that still lingers is the use of hydrofluorocarbons [HFCs] as a refrigeration coolant. Let's just say, you are partly right. There has been a lot of change when it comes to how people look at home appliances and their eco-friendliness towards the environment. As increasing numbers of consumers voice their concerns, manufacturers have been forced to respond and are seeking ways to improve the performance of their products. The introduction of the EU energy efficiency rating has speeded up this process and has had the unintended happy effect of sparking healthy competition between companies as to who can make the most eco-friendly appliance. As well as energy efficiency, the manufacturing of household goods remains a contentious issue as a toxic mix of hazardous metals, plastics, and chemicals are used to create them and worse, have the potential to leak into the land and contaminate soil and water if not disposed of properly. So then, the question is how do home appliances give back to the environment in a productive manner? Let’s have a look.

4. Refrigerators Refrigerators One of the highest domestic energy consumption sources when it comes to home appliances are refrigerators. However, energy efficiency has dramatically improved and most fridges are around 30 percent more efficient than they were 30 years ago. One problem that still lingers is the use of hydrofluorocarbons [HFCs] as a refrigeration coolant. HFCs are greenhouse gases, so look instead for one of the new generation fridges that use hydrocarbons as a refrigerant. There

5. are many brands in the world that have actively taken up different steps in order to help refrigerators become more eco friendly. Some like Bosch and Miele make fridges that are CFC/HFC free while the brand Siemens also uses recyclable plastics in the manufacture of their models. What we as consumers can do is we can keep our fridge’s energy consumption to a minimum by insulating it around the sides and regularly cleaning the coils at the back. Washing machines Washing machines The usage of washing machines has gone up but so has the rate at which they have developed and how eco friendly they have become over the years. As well as offering a wider choice of shorter wash cycles and quieter function, most modern machines now weigh the laundry, adjusting the amount of water, time, and electricity needed to suit that particular load. As a consumer, we can try load management and ensure that we use washing machines only when necessary and to the optimum. There is so much more yet to be explored by home appliance brands and one thing is for sure, these brands will come together to build or manufacture eco-friendly appliance options as that is the need of the hour if our planet is to retain its freshness and greenery.