Sustainability is already a recurring theme at IFA in Berlin, with Bosch, Miele and Panasonic making clear statements about their commitment to a greener future on the opening press conference day.
For Bosch, carbon footprint is an important consideration in relation to the production, recycling and usage of its appliances.
“The topic of saving energy is important among consumers when purchasing an appliance and why we aspire to provide the best energy efficiency. For example, our new Eco refrigerator uses recycled and neutrally produced material such as bio-based foam and thermoplastic for the door seal. It is the beginning of a new era for home appliances and will be pursued across our broader portfolio,” Bosch board member, Christian Thess said at the company’s press conference.
Miele reflected on the progress it has made in its sustainability journey including becoming carbon neutral in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions across all sites in 2021, with a goal of reducing Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to 2019. Miele is also using 24 tonnes of low CO2 steel in the production of its ovens and aims to use hydrogen to reduce CO2 emissions by over 95%.
Miele executive director and co-proprietor, Dr Markus Miele said, “Not only do we have high standards for our factories, but also our vehicle fleets. We intend to transition our entire delivery fleet to electric vehicles which we expect will reduce CO2 by 30% by 2030.
“Miele was the first company to use Opel Vivaro e-hydrogen vehicles that offer emission-free transportation to our service technicians. The principle is that the fuel cell generates electricity from hydrogen and air using a catalyst to drive the electric motor. The only product of this reaction is pure water vapour from the exhaust.”
Miele executive director for marketing and sales, Dr Axel Kniehl emphasised that reliability and durability is at the core of Miele.
“We do everything we can to help our customers live a more sustainable life. Producing and testing appliances for a lifetime of 20 years is more than any of our competitors. Carbon emissions is a core topic and 84% of emissions are not created during the production of the appliances but rather during their usage in the home.
“The PowerWash function on our front load washing machines combines high energy and water efficiency with short wash cycle times, while our TwinDos detergent system can save up to 30% of detergent over the lifetime of the product.”
Miele executive director and co-proprietor, Dr Reinhard Zinkann said visitors to the Miele booth will find messages on climate protection presented around the entire space.
“Our booth this year is consistently sustainable. For example, booth sections are put into storage for re-use, furniture and decorative furnishings are rented, all paper is 100% recycled, and we have eliminated bags and goodies, as well as printed tickets and vouchers.”
Panasonic introduced a new booth that focused on sustainability, featuring “carefully selected materials to present the products and decorate the walls”, the sparsely laid-out exhibition stand had bare concrete exhibition floors with no carpet laid claim to reduce the carbon footprint by 140 tons of CO2 emissions or 71% compared to the last Panasonic exhibition booth in 2019. This CO2 emission reduction is the equivalent of a mid-sized combustion car travelling approximately one million kilometres.
Photo credit: Messe Berlin.