Whirlpool, the Energy Efficient Icon

Whirlpool has created a pretty big challenge for itself. It aims to reduce its total greenhouse gas emissions 6.6 percent by 2012 while increasing production by 17 percent. This is in addition to its 2003 goal of reducing emissions by 3 percent from 1998 levels by 2008, a target it says it is on track to meet.

Whirlpool, which acquired Maytag Corporation last year, claims to be the only appliances manufacturer that examines a product's energy and water conservation from cradle to grave. By doing this, the company gets to cut costs and probably attract more customers, who also save money by reducing energy costs. Seems like a win-win situation.

I love that Whirlpool is actually taking action to reduce its emissions instead of just paying to offset the carbon dioxide it emits.

The company has pursued its goals thus far by:

• Discontinuing the use of volatile organic compound paints and eliminated emissions from solvents

• Lessening power plant emissions through low-energy lighting and high-efficiency equipment

• Participating in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's voluntary emissions reductions program

• Partnering with SmartWay Transport(R), a collaboration between the EPA and the freight industry to increase energy efficiency while reducing carbon dioxide by 33 to 66 million metric tons and up to 200,000 tons of nitrogen oxide per year by 2012

• Focusing on creating even more resource-saving appliances as studies show that 93 percent of life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions come from in-home use

• Ensuring that almost 90 percent of materials (steel and other metals, some plastics) used in Whirlpool products can be recycled

• Reusing plastic foam that was previously sent to landfills; it's now ground up and made into plastic furniture, food containers, playground equipment and other consumer products