Buying a new refrigerator or continuing to use the old one

In a joint project with the parliamentary fraction of the German Green Party the BASF used their Eco-Efficiency Analysis for a concrete consumer-near example. The study "Buying a new refrigerator or continuing to use the old one" had been scientifically reviewed by the Wuppertal Institute for climate, environment, energy. It was presented to the public on February 25, 2002 at Berlin.

Determining factor: electricity consumption

The analysis was about the question whether it is more sensible to continue to use a 10 year old refrigerator or to buy a new one. The study shows that it is more eco-efficient to replace an old refrigerator having a high electricity consumption by a new model of energy efficiency class A. The essential factor influencing the environmental impact is the electricity consumption during household use. The manufacturing phase from the gaining of raw materials to the end-installation as well as waste-disposal is not without importance, but it doesn’t have the main part of the environmental impact.