Major Appliances Modern plastic materials are lightweight, tough, corrosion resistant and provide a myriad of specific compounds and property profiles, allowing them to be easily molded and formed into complex shapes. In the United States, both the major appliance and plastics industries have maintained world class technological and competitive leadership. These industries have helped keep manufacturing in the United States strong and healthy.
Plastics bring tremendous advantages to major appliances.
Without plastics, product features such as refrigerator inner door storage, washing machine agitators and Mini Baskets and lightweight portable air conditioners would not be possible. In addition to these convenience features, the outstanding thermal insulation characteristics and shape optimization provided by plastics reduce product energy consumption. Since 1972, product energy consumption has been reduced 30 to 40 percent while product energy efficiency has increased 50 to 100 percent. The cost to operate major appliances has actually decreased 30 to 60 percent over the same time period. Plastics have also greatly increased the product life and durability of major appliances.