White Goods - An Explanation
Added On: 30/11/1999
1 RatingsWhat are white goods?
'White goods' are generally defined as major household appliances for use in the kitchen or for cleaning, such as fridges and washing machines etc.
Most white goods are now rated on their energy efficiency, in the UK they may have an 'Energy Efficiency Recommended' sticker if they work at a higher energy efficiency than standard products.
They should also have an EU Energy label that will give the appliance an energy efficiency rating, from A+ to G (A+ boing the most energy-efficient). The EU Energy Label is a compulsory notice that should be applied to all white goods and home appliances sold within the EU.
By buying white label products that have a rating of D or over, you are helping to reduce your impact on the environment.
White goods include:
- Air conditioners
- Dishwashers
- Clothes dryers/tumbledryers
- Freezers
- Refrigerators
- Cookers/ovens
- Water heaters
- Washing machines
- Rubbish compactors and waste disposal units
- Microwaves
Over 1.5 million washing machines are scrapped in the UK each year, which is a costly and environmentally poor process.
Washing machines and other white goods often contain parts and gases that are harmful to the environment, and the huge volumes that we throw away has a huge impact on the volume of waste going into landfills.
Buying better quality white goods is an excellent way of reducing your impact on these landfills, as they have a longer lifespan so less appliances need to be thrown away.
Look out for energy efficiency ratings on any new white goods that you're considering buying, and remember that the cheapest product may not be best buy in the long term, and their energy usage will often be higher (increasing your energy bills).
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