Transformation for Whirlpool in Brazil

In Brazil, Whirlpool won’t sell you a water purifier.  But they will gladly provide you with clean water through the use of their Brastemp water purifying system.  Establishing a service relationship with their customers, rather than selling them products provides Whirlpool with the ability to collect and recycle 99% of the material contained in the appliance at the end of its lifespan, helping them reduce waste, save money and decrease resource use within their manufacturing processes. 

And Whirlpool is already preparing to go further. “We want to reach our suppliers’ suppliers to know how they act,” says Paulo Vodianitskaia, Senior Advisor and Director of Environment and Governmental Relations of Whirlpool Latin America. “Let’s not be deluded with just material recycling. We have to reach a completely closed cycle,” said Vodianitskaia. 

To prepare for this next step, Whirlpool Brazil has already installed disassembly lines in order to recollect all of the materials within their products, including outdated refrigerant gases that could potentially damage the ozone layer or contribute to global warming. Taking these steps has helped the company prepare for new laws now pending in the Brazilian Congress that would govern the handling of solid wastes.

This sustainability journey began five years ago with presentations from Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt on The Natural Step Framework. “We gathered our employees to discuss sustainability. We identified some issues related to the mining of materials from the earth’s crust, the substances we leave in the planet and natural degradation cause by our operations.  We also determined that it’s not worth providing a small group of people access to goods and services if other groups do not have the same access,” explained Vodianitskaia.

Whirlpool Corporation is a global leader of the home appliance industry, manufacturing stoves, refrigerators, dishwashers, countertop appliances, water filtration and irons.  They intend to grow in their quest for clean technology, sustainable exploration of natural resources and defense of social equity, and The Natural Step looks forward to supporting them in this important work.