It was a case of dueling announcements.
Within minutes of one other, LG Electronics and Whirlpool claimed clothes-dryer compliance with the category’s first-ever voluntary sustainability standard.
The guideline — developed by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), the CSA Group, a diversified services organization, and UL Environment —identifies the environmental impacts of household clothes dryers based on energy, materials, end-of-life, consumables and manufacturing.
The standard is intended to help manufacturers, governments, retailers and others identify environmentally preferable products.
LG was first out of the gate, announcing that its gas dryers are the first in the world to meet the requirements for CSA verification. The manufacturer also said it has more gas and electric models than anyone — 32 in total — that achieved the necessary scores to meet the new standard based on CSA analysis.
The pronouncement was quickly followed by a statement from Whirlpool, which assured all that a “select” number of its dryers are also being certified, including its gas, electric and heat pump models.
However, Whirlpool said its certifications are coming not from CSA, as are LG’s, but from AHAM, which will allow the designated dryers to join their previously certified washer counterparts as sustainable laundry pairs.
The distinction, to be honest, is lost on us.
You can read more about the AHAM 7005-2016/CSA SPE-7005-16/UL 7005 sustainability standard for household clothes drying appliances here.
