Driving forward eu plastics initiatives

Whirlpool is a valued brand worldwide and has long been recognised for its commitment to protecting the environment. Today Whirlpool Europe is spearheading the drive to reduce waste and boost the uptake of recycled plastics. Philip Yorke reports on the new developments that are setting an example to all manufacturing industries worldwide, including Whirlpool’s recent acquisition of the Indesit brand.

The Whirlpool Corporation was founded in the US in 1911 and has since had a major influence on improving the lives of millions of families worldwide. Innovation and a number of strategic acquisitions have driven the company to the number one spot in the development and manufacture of energy-saving home appliances. One of the most important of these was the purchase of 60 per cent of the shares in the Indesit company of Italy for €1 billion in 2014.

In December 2017, Whirlpool completed a successful mandatory tender offer for the remaining shares and delisted Indesit from the Italian Stock exchange. As a result, Indesit is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Whirlpool Italia Holdings SrI.

Indesit remains one of Europe’s flagship companies, employing over 17,000 people and with revenues of more than €3 billion. Founded in 1975 by Vittorio Merloni, it was listed on the Italian stock exchange in 1986. Today the Whirlpool Corporation is a true global player and features in the Fortune 500. It is also one of the world’s largest and most successful companies, employing around 100,000 people, with revenues of over US$ 21.25 billion.

New recycling pledge

On 5 June this year, Whirlpool EMEA announced it had successfully responded to the EU Commission’s invitation to come forward with voluntary pledges on reducing plastic waste and boosting the uptake of recycled plastics. This latest EU initiative is included in the wider Plastics Strategy adopted by the European Commission in January 2018, which aims at promoting a more circular economy and greater protection of the environment.

The objective is to ensure that by the year 2025 ten million tonnes of recycled plastics find their way into new products on the EU market. In this context, the company has decided to work with its industry partners to ensure the adoption of recycling solutions for components for washing machines, refrigerators and dishwashers in the coming seven years. This pledge also includes the use of polypropylene with mineral filler and polystyrene, in compliance with the ROHS and REACH regulations.

The new, voluntary pledge by Whirlpool comes along with the celebrations of the World Environment Day, which this year is dedicated to the global cause ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’. The goal is to protect the environment while at the same time laying foundations for a new global plastic economy.

Award winning edge

Whirlpool has recently been honoured with the ‘2018 Digital Edge 50 Award’, from IDG Enterprises. This prestigious award is a recognised honour of digital innovation. Through digital technologies such as mobile, analytics, AI and the Internet of Things, award winners see business results that indicate a true ‘Digital Edge’.

Selected by a panel of industry experts and business technology executives, winning applications are driving greater customer engagement, higher sales conversions and new products, as well as revenue and profit growth.

ROLD

leader manufacturer of components for household appliances, RolD has been an international point of reference for over fifty years and is today recognized among the most important producers for its high quality components, entirely manufactured in Italy. The product portfolio of Rold includes electrical appliances such as closing devices, door safety locks, switches and push-button panels designed for the Home and Professional Appliance market (washing machines, dishwashers, tumble dryers, fridges and ovens, coffee machines..).

Around 10% of our turnover is re-invested in research, oriented towards the newest materials and technologies, such as Connected and Smart Devices, IoT and HmI. With know- how and efficiency Rold is proudly supporting worldwide Whirlpool, one of our most important and strategic customers, ready to join efforts to face the future together.

The Whirlpool Cloud Project, launched in 2016, will allow the company to deploy connected products around the globe, delivering advanced appliance features more quickly by reducing digital capability cycle times. From leveraging over-the-air automatic updates to products that cook based upon information provided via the barcode on a packaged food item, the Internet of Things has introduced a new digital dimension to the company’s traditional home care products.

“We are honoured to be recognised for bringing consumerfocused innovation to our products, simplifying the lives of our customers,” said Mike Heim, corporate vice-president and global chief information officer at Whirlpool Corporation. “With a quickly expanding portfolio of connected products, we saw the need for a secure technology platform solution that could keep pace with innovating for what really matters in day-to-day life, allowing consumers to personalise their in-home experience in a way that helps them care for their families. We are proud of this project and the team behind it.”

Togetherness

Over the past year Indesit has been making a powerful stand on the issue of sharing domestic labour more fairly with its compelling ‘doittogether’ campaign. While society has made great strides forward in equal rights, housework remains an area where there is still a huge distance to travel. The hashtag #doittogether has demonstrated that Indesit is a brand with truly authentic purpose and has proved to be a major success at bringing the company closer to its consumers.

In addition to capturing the consumer’s imagination, it has aligned the Indesit brand and products with an attractive and progressive vision of family life. Next year Indesit will continue to aim to get families thinking about how fairly they share the chores and the steps they can take to make a change for the better.

“The new advertising aims to be thought-provoking but also warm and empathetic. Family life is changing and we want to demonstrate that Indesit is a brand that understands the daily challenges facing our consumers and offering real solutions to help them succeed,” commented Alexandra Rusu, head of marketing Indesit Brand EMEA. n

For further details of the latest Whirlpool products and its digital technologies visit: www.whirlpoolcorp.com