Buy a Climate Conscious Refrigerator
When I came home from Thanksgiving vacation in November the entire contents of my freezer were melted all over the floor. Our refrigerator had bit the dust! And so, I began the hunt for a new one. What I found was a BIG education in climate change science.
Did you know that most refrigerator appliances still use harmful chemicals with enormous global warming potential (GWP)? Typical refrigerants’ capacity to warm the atmosphere are hundreds to thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide, with some being up to 13,000 times more potent. These harmful refrigerants have accounted for close to 11% of total warming emissions to date.
The good news is that more low-GWP alternatives are becoming available. At this point in time, though, the bulk of the burden remains on the consumer to make an informed climate-conscious refrigerator purchase. Here’s what you need to know!
Your climate conscious refrigerator questions:
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YES. Unfortunately, sluggish policy and industry regulation have been slow to take form. The US recently passed legislation to reduce harmful refrigerants 85% by 2030, which is a huge step toward climate change mitigation. Even so, consumers still carry an inordinate responsibility to make good purchases until policy and industry transitions retail markets. (NPR)
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The vast majority of refrigerators use hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), CFCs, and HCFCs, which are chemical refrigerants that are thousands of times more potent at warming the planet than carbon dioxide. Manufacturers have just recently made product refrigerant information available to consumers. (Inside Climate News)
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Look for lower GWP refrigerant alternatives, mainly R-600a isobutane or R-441A isobutane blend. (EPA)
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I literally went through this EnergyStar list and cross referenced it with a separate list of refrigerators with noted refrigerants. Just six months later, the EnergyStar list is updated so you can filter for low-GWP refrigerants! Once you’ve made your short selection, call your local retailers to see who carries the products you like. (EnergyStar)
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Don’t count on it. You have to do your own hunting for the safe refrigerants. My experience showed that sales people remain conditioned to help consumers make economically and comfort driven decisions. I didn’t find any sales people knowledgeable on these issues. womp womp
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We bought an LG model, lg lfxs28968s, using R-600a isobutane.
It was $2,800 with warranty, tax, etc.
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With a growing family that strives to cooks most the time, we wanted a larger square footage with compact insulation technology. Also, we got this appliance right before Christmas, so my parents helped us purchase as a holiday gift. woot woot.
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BIG. Roughly 90% of refrigerant emissions occur at equipment’s end of life, according to Project Drawdown, a nonprofit that analyses climate solutions.
Refrigerants also ooze into the atmosphere over time. So, leaving your old appliance in the garage for 10 years is a bad idea. Our retailer offered safe disposal of our old refrigerator, so we sent it off with the installer team. Here are the questions to ask to ensure safe disposal. (EPA)
In closing, managing refrigerants is one of the top climate solutions identified by Project Drawdown. This is not a major lifestyle change you’ll make along your regenerative journey. But when the time comes, this is one of the most impactful decisions you’ll make.
Some relevant resources
