AHAM’s Sustainability Standards

In 2012, AHAM embarked on a process to create product-based sustainability standards to cover all of the appliances that fall within AHAM’s scope as an organization. By 2018, the standards were largely complete, and most of the standards have received accreditation as national consensus standards from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in the United States and CSA in Canada. AHAM is now beginning the seven-year cycle of reviewing and updating its sustainability standards in accordance with ANSI/CSA policies and procedures. As of this writing, 124 appliance models have received third-party certification under various AHAM sustainability standards.

Sustainability standards exist for the following products: • Refrigeration products • Clothes washers • Clothes dryers • Microwave ovens • Kitchen cooking appliances (stovetops, ranges, ovens) • Room air conditioners • Dehumidifiers • Portable and floor care appliances

The home appliance industry’s activities in the sustainability arena go well beyond the development of third-party sustainability standards. As described below, AHAM and its members are involved in a number of activities that have had or will have significant impact in reducing the environmental footprint of home appliances.