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I recently replaced a freezer. (Yes, this is purely anecdotal.) Comparing the Energy Star rating from my old freezer to the new one, I'm saving just a dollar a
by TheCraiggers 7y ago
I recently replaced a freezer. (Yes, this is purely anecdotal.) Comparing the Energy Star rating from my old freezer to the new one, I'm saving just a dollar a month. Now, I have no idea what the calculations would be to figure out the carbon cost of that electricity versus what it cost to actually make and ship that freezer. But I'm guessing it's close to a wash.
According to Energy Star's own website, "replacing your old freezer with one that has earned the ENERGY STAR could save you $195 over the next 5 years." I'm guessing the figures they're using are on the extreme ends of the spectrum, but that still doesn't seem that impressive when you consider the production costs. Which, admittedly, I have no idea of, but assume are not great because refrigerant and insulation are involved.
- donmcronald 7y agoYeah. The environmental cost of manufacturing a new appliance and disposing of an old one needs to be considered. I just don't see how replacing could be more environmentally friendly than repairing. I wonder if the whole ENERGY STAR thing is just an industry wide marketing gimmick to change the public's perception so we can sell ourselves on the idea of throwing so much waste into a landfill.
- craftinator 7y agoOn top of the disposal aspect... Well what about after they are "disposed of"? They are not recycled. Nearly anything wrapped in consumer grade plastic or stainless steel sheeting isn't. It just goes to a landfill. This is fine in the very, very long term (1000+ years), but as of now, pollution is a pretty bad thing, and will be worse for progeny.