In October 2022, global smart home leader Midea hosted a ceremony at Chillventa 2022 in Nuremberg, Germany to celebrate the publication of the Environmental Product Declaration for its XtremeSave range of air conditioners. Midea worked with testing, inspection and certification (TIC) company TÜV SÜD to make this achievement possible.
Midea published the world's first environmental product declaration for air conditioning products in the International EPD system and received a product carbon footprint certificate from TÜV SÜD. Midea has thus marked another achievement in its contribution to sustainable development, having carried out a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to help consumers obtain transparent environmental information related to products.
According to Robert Ostendorf, Head of Global CPS, TÜV SÜD Product Service Division, the air conditioning sector is a critical and key element in the fight against climate change. He added that in recent years Midea has been able to develop products with environmental certifications from TUV, such as "Flash Cooling" and "Easy to Clean". Thanks to these achievements, the products provide very high energy efficiency.
Midea HVAC Solutions sales manager Thomas Kunig said the publication of the EPD is part of the company's mission to help reduce its carbon footprint and achieve zero carbon. After a number of studies and research into the entire product cycle, the company has been able to minimise waste and CO2 emissions. Midea is also working with partners to create a greener supply chain.
In an effort to develop products that are as environmentally friendly as possible, Midea has initiated the development of numerous environmentally safer alternatives for its products. An example is the application of propane (R290) for split air conditioners. The decision has been accepted by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) as a significant contribution to the global environment.
Another focus of Midea is to achieve greater energy efficiency and product performance. The company produces more than 2 million energy-efficient air conditioners a year, which can contribute to saving 416 million kWh of electricity and reducing 414,700 tonnes of greenhouse gases and 12,400 tonnes of sulphur dioxide annually. Midea air conditioners can save up to 70% of consumption in ECO mode. In this way, users also contribute to protecting the environment.
Midea also acts responsibly beyond the design of its products. The company has achieved more than 20% photovoltaic power in the production process. It has also found a solution on how to reduce carbon emissions of its industrial buildings by using less land, less energy and less harmful materials.
By using recyclable materials for its packaging, Midea was able to reduce waste by 11,500 tons. The company also gives its customers the option of returning household appliances and so has managed to recycle over 32,220 appliances by the end of 2021. Midea also offers an exchange option on purchase to expand its recycling programme.
Midea is implementing solutions to address environmental impacts throughout the business cycle, continuously exploring new ways to improve product quality and durability and reduce energy consumption.