On 9 December 2009, Quality Austria GmbH awarded the production sites for Liebherr domestic appliances in Ochsenhausen (Germany), Lienz (Austria) and Marica (Bulgaria) the certificate of compliance with the international environmental management standard ISO 14001. Liebherr domestic appliances have been produced in accordance with the highest international standard for quality assurance (ISO 9001) since the mid-1990s.
One key feature of ISO 14001 is the definition of a continual process of improvement for meeting the company's specified environmental targets. The improvement process consists of four individual stages: planning, execution, inspection and optimisation. In accordance with this, the three production sites for Liebherr domestic appliances operate a program to systematically improve their environmental performance. At the same time, there should be a clearer public perception of the standards that have already been attained.
ISO 14001 certification took place after a year-long period of preparation. The auditors from Quality Austria GmbH praised our employees' detailed knowledge and practical implementation of environmental protection. Another significant contribution towards achieving the set targets is the training of the first group of environmental consultants, who have been available to answer questions on environmental matters in a number of departments in Ochsenhausen since November. Similar training courses have been scheduled for the Lienz and Marica plants.
Liebherr domestic appliances have a long tradition of eco-friendliness. Environmental responsibility in the development, production and disposal of products is an inherent part of our corporate philosophy and therefore a key task of our company management.
Environmental responsibility begins with the design of new appliances. Liebherr places the highest value on quality and environmental compatibility when selecting materials. During the development stage, all components are tested for a reliable service life of 15 years. The plastic parts are labelled for optimum recycling. The product quality and resulting service life of the appliances has a decisive effect on the ecological balance.
Another contribution towards eco-friendliness is the technical design of the refrigerator and freezer range in terms of energy efficiency. For many years, Liebherr has been producing the broadest range of appliances in the top energy efficiency classes A+ and A++. This is a continuing process. Thus, for example, the energy consumption of some appliances has been more than halved in the past ten years, compared to their predecessor models.
