MANUFACTURER PROFILE | Whirlpool
Whirlpool UK’s sustainability
Whirlpool’s factory in Peterborough has switched to renewable energy
introduce electric vehicles and have set ourselves a target to transition to a fleet with at least 50% fully electric vehicles by 2025.”
It appears that not even a global pandemic could shift Whirlpool’s focus on sustainability.
“While I definitely observed a momentary refocus of media attention during the pandemic, we didn’t deviate from any of our sustainability plans. We continued to execute them,” he explains. “Yes, the challenge of resetting the business to deal with Covid and making sure we could still operate was a huge task, but it didn’t interfere with our agenda to drive sustainability – we didn’t move away from that for a second and the progress was still very much being made.” There’s no question that sustain- ability is high on the agenda of Whirlpool and other manufacturers, but for consumers of kitchens and bathrooms and the retailers that serve them, it just doesn’t seem to be registering. And, while Moverley
admits that integrated systems like those mentioned earlier may not become a reality for some time, there are other more short-term developments, such as the introduction of laws to help the Government hit targets, that could force
retailers and their customers make it a priority in their projects. “Sustainability strongly registers with some retailers but doesn’t register at all with others,” Moverley says. “There’s a very polarised view – as there is with consumers too.
Attitudes “Last year’s COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow prompted a big change in attitudes, but the reality is that people were becoming vocal about it before that – and the key for retailers it isn’t registering with is that the momentum in this area is only going to get stronger over time. “I personally believe that, as a
retailer, if you’re not selling or promoting sustainable appliances you may be under-selling and undercutting your
profitability as a result.”
There appears to be a bit of a disconnect between what kbbreview regularly hears from frontline KBB retailers
– that consumers aren’t
interested in purchases based on sustainability – and the feedback Whirlpool has received from consumer studies and research.
“In one of our studies of more than 2,000 people in the UK, 50% said that they value innovations that use less energy,” he says.
surveyed
“And 40% of those said
that they value brands that
As a retailer, if you’re not selling or promoting sustainable appliances you may be under-selling and undercutting your
profitability Ian Moverley, director UK communications, Whirlpool
agenda ■ Launching an ambitious programme to replace 50% of its fleet with electric vehicles by 2025. ■ Providing clear guidance on 10-year parts warranty to encourage consumers to make appropriate choices between repairing or replacing their products. ■ Offering free removal and recycling of packaging when delivering a new product directly to a consumer’s home. ■ Working with Youreko on brand websites to help consumers understand the financial benefits of energy-saving programs (e.g. eco-wash cycles).
have a lower carbon footprint. “However, I don’t expect consumers to come through the doors of the showrooms and start these conversations about sustainability. “But equally, there is growing awareness and need in this area that will grow further with the younger generation as they enter the labour market and the housing market. There is no question that sustainability is going to be a factor.”
So, what is next on the sustainability agenda for Whirlpool? Moverley concludes: “We’re on this journey to Net Zero and we’re making good
progress. We’re introducing
various initiatives, both globally and in the UK specifically, to help towards that goal, but we’re also thinking about the future.
“The term sustainability isn’t solely about the environment, it also covers areas such as ethical responsibility, labour, human rights, responsible procurement, and so responsible innovation is just one of our focus areas moving forward.”
Whirlpool UK aims for 50% of its vehicles to be electric by 2025
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· May 2022
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