Electrolux 1996 Annual Report Download - page 63

consumption, and the Group is thus better
prepared to meet more stringent require-
ments than are many other producers in
the industry.
Phase-out of freons
At the start of 1996, a ban on CFC, i.e.
hard freons, went into force in all devel-
oped countries. The ban is based on an
international agreement to phase out the
use of substances that deplete the ozone
layer in the stratosphere. The next step
in the international phase-out of ozone-
depleting substances will cover HCFC, i.e.
soft freons, which many of the developed
countries in the West will ban as of 2002.
Electrolux has completed the greater
part of the CFC and HCFC phase-out. The
consumption increased during 1996, how-
ever, as a result of acquisitions of units in
China, India and Brazil, where CFC is still
used. A program for its discontinuation has
been started in the newly acquired units,
and in 1997 the Group will launch the first
CFC-free products in these markets.
Water consumption
Pure water is a scarce resource in most
parts of the world. Estimates indicate that
about 40% of the earth’s population does
not have free access to pure water. In some
regions, obtaining access will require major
investments in infrastructure as well as con-
servation programs. It is therefore logical to
assign high priority to development of such
appliances as water-efficient washers and
dishwashers. Sales data also show a definite
increase in demand for such products.
In recent years Electrolux has been the
European market leader for water-efficient
washers and dishwashers. In 1996, the
Group’s Frigidaire subsidiary launched a new
front-loaded washing machine and a new
dishwasher, both of which feature the lowest
water consumption on the US market. The
new washer uses 43% less water and 72%
less energy than conventional American
appliances. For the dishwasher, water con-
sumption is 24% lower and energy consump-
tion 18% lower. The dishwasher also features
the lowest noise level on the market.
Reduced emissions, lower noise levels
Stricter legislation regarding emissions
from equipment with two-stroke engines is
expected during the next few years in the
US and the EU. Both customers and public
authorities are also increasingly demanding
products with lower noise levels. Noise
standards now exist for such products as
lawn mowers and chainsaws. The standards
set by the EU are the most rigorous, and
will gradually become more severe.
In the autumn of 1996, Husqvarna
launched a new generation of two-stroke
engines, designated E-tech, which combine
new combustion technology with catalytic
exhaust cleaning, and comply with the
strictest emission requirements by a margin
of 40%. E-tech is a cost-effective solution
compared with conventional engines fitted
with catalytic cleaners, which means that
it can be applied in a large number of the
Group’s outdoor products.
Recycling and waste
Systems for recycling the material in dis-
carded products are being established in
many countries. The main goals are to
increase resource-efficiency and to reduce
the volume of waste. Legislation requiring
producers to reclaim products is being
planned in a number of countries, including
Sweden, Germany, The Netherlands and Italy,
and is under discussion in the US and Japan.
Electrolux has started to set up a
system for voluntary reclaiming of used
products in a number of countries, e.g. for
white goods in Germany and Switzerland,
and industrial laundry equipment in Sweden
and Finland. The launch in 1996 of the
market’s first battery-driven vacuum cleaner
without environmentally hazardous cad-
mium batteries is an example of how waste-
management problems can be prevented.
This vacuum cleaner is driven by nickel-
metal-hydride batteries, in whose develop-
ment Electrolux played an active role.
Production with low
environmental impact
An environmental management system is
an effective tool for goal-oriented environ-
mental activities. In 1995, the Group
started introduction of a certified environ-
mental management system according to
ISO 14001 in all production units. The
system will be fully implemented by 2000.
At year-end 1996, nine plants had been
certified and another twenty were prepar-
ing for certification.
Experience has shown that cost reduc-
tions can be achieved with an environmental
management system. At the Group’s plant
for food-service equipment in Valenoncello,
Italy, costs for energy were reduced by
13%, for waste by 23% and for water by
33% in 1996.
Over the past ten years the Group’s
plants have continuously improved their
environmental performance. Energy con-
sumption has been reduced by more than
30%, and carbon dioxide emissions have thus
decreased by almost 30%. Water consump-
tion has been reduced by more than 50%.
All units produce annual reports
showing resource consumption and other
factors in relation to added value. Resource-
efficiency is also measured as the relation
between the weight of finished products
and direct material inputs. This key ratio
was 88% in 1996, the same as in 1995.
Additional information on the Group’s environ-
mental activities is given in a separate report
for 1996, which is available on request from
Corporate staff, Environmental Affairs, tel.
[phone]. Environmental information
is also accessible on the Internet at http://www.
electrolux.com
59
Electrolux Annual Report 1996
In 1996 the Group launched the world’s first vacuum
cleaner to be driven by cadmium-free batteries.
Husqvarna has developed a new type of catalyzer for
two-stroke engines that enables both higher output and
lower fuel consumption, and also complies with the strict-
est criteria for emission of exhaust gas and particles.