Whirlpool Corporation released its 2019 Sustainability Report, highlighting the company’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments and continued progress in reducing the use of natural resources in its manufacturing processes and across its operations.
«Whirlpool has a long, proud history of environmental sustainability and a strong track record of action and success. In 2019, we raised the bar on our environmental commitments, and accelerated the progress of our short- and long-term goals that meet or exceed the Paris Accord – said Marc Bitzer, Chairman, and CEO of Whirlpool Corporation. – As we continue to navigate the impact of COVID-19, the health and safety of our employees and communities remain our priority. We strongly believe that our sustainability efforts are as important now as ever. These efforts are guided by a clear mission to earn trust and create demand while in constant pursuit of improving life at home. It’s a commitment that is brought to life by our 77,000 employees worldwide.»
The company has defined specific global targets, reducing plant waste, record on-site renewable energy usage and a vigilant governance and management system dedicated to overseeing and implementing the company’s sustainability agenda.
In 2019, Whirlpool achieved its lowest levels of absolute plant emissions (Scope 1 & 2) in over a decade. Since 2016, the company has reduced its absolute plant emissions by 18% by investing in efficiency and renewable energy and achieved zero waste to landfill in 8 of its plants across 3 regions. Moreover, it has accomplished a global waste to recycling rate of 96%, further reducing its overall global footprint and a part of its commitment to waste reduction and using fewer natural resources in operations.
Some special operations have also been undertaking in different Whirlpool plants. In Marion (Ohio), employees developed an innovative solution to reuse water from an existing chiller that saves 31 million gallons of water each year. Their innovative solution resulted in a 20% decrease in water use for the plant. In Cassinetta (Italy), instead, employees are working on a project to reduce water withdrawal and consumption in the plastics department identifying a redesign opportunity in our foam injection process. The new design led to an annual reduction of 6,000 cubic meters of water and will be implemented in two other extruders in 2020.
But 2019 was also the year of the Whirlpool’s new Code of Ethics, or “Our Integrity Manual”, as the company called it. It was delivered to virtually all employees globally, with 99% of the approximately 13,000 employees globally representing high-risk roles or functions completing an annual certification.
