Sustainability Standard for Household Refrigeration Appliances Designated National Standard by US and Canadian Standards Bodies

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9, 2015 /CNW/ -- The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), CSA Group, and UL Environment today announced that AHAM 7001-2014/CSA SPE-7001-14/UL 7001, Sustainability Standard for Household Refrigeration Appliances, has earned the American National Standard Institute (ANSI) and Standards Council of Canada (SCC) accreditation as approved National Standards for the US and Canada, respectively. The ANSI and SCC designations signify that the standard was developed in accordance with the requirements set for the development of consensus standards and has undergone broad-based extensive public review.   

This standard, which was the first in a family of product sustainability standards under development by AHAM, CSA Group, and UL Environment, serves as an objective and practical measurement tool to assist refrigeration manufacturers in evaluating the environmental sustainability of home appliances.  It is the first standard in this group of related standards to attain ANSI and SCC accreditation.   The standard is intended for use by manufacturers, governments, retailers, and others to identify environmentally preferable products and is based on a lifecycle approach for identifying the environmental impacts of refrigeration products in five key areas: energy, materials, end-of-life, performance, and manufacturing.

"Earning the designation as a national standard in both the U.S. and Canada demonstrates the broad support and critical acceptance of the AHAM refrigerator sustainability standard.  This credibility should be seen by retailers as an important tool to evaluate appliance sustainability," explained Joseph M. McGuire, president of AHAM.

"CSA Group is committed to developing standards that contribute to a more sustainable world. The new standard for household refrigeration will help to evaluate the sustainability of household appliances helping to benefit manufacturers, retailers and ultimately end users," said, Gianluca Arcari, Executive Director, Standards and Vice President, CSA Group. "Working together on the task force for sustainability of household refrigeration appliances, we have jointly developed the first of many new product standards that look at the environmental impact of products across their full life cycle."

"The notion of product safety as we know it is evolving and expanding. Increasingly, consumers are concerned about the lifecycle-based environmental impacts of the products they buy and use in their homes. Appliances are no exception," said Carlos Correia, president of UL Supply Chain & Sustainability, UL Environment's parent business unit. "Recognition by ANSI and SCC of this important sustainability standard means it will be easier for greener, more sustainable home appliances to enter the marketplace and meet the needs of environmentally conscious consumers."

About AHAM

The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) is a not-for-profit trade association representing manufacturers of major, portable and floor care home appliances, and suppliers to the industry and is headquartered in Washington, DC.  AHAM is a standards development organization, accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and has authored numerous appliance performance testing standards used by manufacturers, consumer organizations and governmental bodies to rate and compare appliances. You can visit the AHAM web site at www.aham.org

About CSA Group

CSA Group is an independent, not-for-profit membership association dedicated to safety, social good and sustainability. Its knowledge and expertise encompass standards development; training and advisory solutions; global testing and certification services across key business areas including hazardous location and industrial, plumbing and construction, medical, safety and technology, appliances and gas, alternative energy, lighting and sustainability; as well as consumer product evaluation services. The CSA certification mark appears on billions of products worldwide. For more information about CSA Group visit www.csagroup.org.

About UL Environment

UL Environment, a business unit of UL, works to advance global sustainability, environmental health, and safety by supporting the growth and development of environmentally preferable products, services, and organizations. We help companies achieve their sustainability goals—and help purchasers, specifiers, retailers, governments, and consumers find products they can trust. UL Environment offers environmental claim validations, multi-attribute product certifications, environmental product declarations, indoor air quality certification, product emissions testing, organizational sustainability certification, and consulting. For more information, visit www.ul.com/environment.  

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SOURCE Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers

Jill Notini, AHAM, 202-872-5955 x318, [email protected], or Allison Hawkins, CSA Group, 416-747-2615, [email protected], or Dagmar Ebaugh , UL Environment, 678-872-0320, [email protected], http://www.aham.org