Whirlpool UK Appliances Limited, the home of Hotpoint, has announced team Power Washing Ranger from Sir Robert Pattinson Academy as the winner of its first-ever Purposeful Innovation competition. As part of the competition, secondary school children were challenged to redesign a popular appliance to be more environmentally friendly, over the course of eight weekly sessions.
Over 40 students attended the live final event hosted at the World of Whirlpool centre in Peterborough to present their designs to a panel of expert judges, while taking part in a number of STEM-themed activities. Whirlpool UK awarded the winning team a bundle of fantastic prizes as a reward for their re-design of a washing machine to use both less water and energy.
Each member of the winning team has received a new kitchen appliance of choice for their homes, as well as one appliance for their school. The team will also receive a behind-the-scenes tour of Whirlpool’s Yate factory, in Bristol, which manufactures half a million tumble dryers for UK homes every year.
The runners up were Sawtry Village Academy and Arctica from Nene Park Academy and they will also receive a tour of the factory as well as an appliance for their schools. In addition, the winning team and the runners up are each able to choose a charity or community organisation which Whirlpool UK will donate an appliance to on their behalf.
The aim of Whirlpool UK’s Purposeful Innovation competition was to inspire the next generation of engineers to prioritise sustainability in engineering design. Students were tasked with re-designing a kitchen appliance so that it is more sustainable to build and operate. Following eight weeks of hard work, and with the support of Whirlpool UK’s employees, students from schools across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and the surrounding areas, presented their unique kitchen appliance solutions.
Ian Moverley, Communications Director, Whirlpool UK Appliances Limited commented: “Congratulations to all teams that took part in the inaugural Purposeful Innovation competition. We chose the winning team due to their well-researched, thoroughly thought-out idea which was ultimately brimming with purposeful innovation! The team designed a new washing machine with two drums, which means that both a white wash and coloured wash can be done together, hence cutting down on the energy and water required for separate washes, while appealing to the modern day time-strapped consumer!
“Other projects included a fridge that sinks under the floorboards to save energy, as it is colder underground, and a 3in1 eco-friendly washer, drier and clothes folder! Overall, we were in awe of the creativity and ingenuity of all participating students and are optimistic for the future of our planet in the hands of a generation with the level of innovative thinking we have seen demonstrated today.
“At Whirlpool UK, we are focused on our mission to achieve our 2030 Net Zero target across our factories and headquarters, and with bright young minds such as these forming the future, we are optimistic that we will achieve our goals. We look forward to seeing these future engineers walking these halls in years to come as members of the Whirlpool UK team.”
For information on Whirlpool UK and its commitment to improving life at home, please visit: https://whirlpoolworld.co.uk/
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Image caption:
- Team Power Washing Ranger from Sir Robert Pattinson Academy and Ian Moverley, Communications Director at Whirlpool UK
About Whirlpool UK Appliances Limited:
Whirlpool UK Appliances Limited is managed by Whirlpool EMEA, part of Whirlpool Corporation.
Whirlpool UK Appliances Limited fully supports the AMDEA safety initiative, Register My Appliance, and is committed to encouraging householders to register their appliances: www.registermyappliance.org.uk
About Whirlpool Corporation
Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is committed to being the best global kitchen and laundry company, in constant pursuit of improving life at home. In an increasingly digital world, the company is driving purposeful innovation to meet the evolving needs of consumers through its iconic brand portfolio, including Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Consul, Brastemp, Amana, Bauknecht, JennAir, Indesit and Yummly. In 2021, the company reported approximately $22 billion in annual sales, 69,000 employees and 54 manufacturing and technology research centers. Additional information about the company can be found at WhirlpoolCorp.com.
About Whirlpool Purposeful Innovation
Whirlpool Purposeful Innovation aims to inspire the next generation of engineers and encourage them to think more sustainably. With the support of Whirlpool employees, students have spent eight weeks re-designing a popular kitchen appliance to reduce the overall environmental impact of its production, to reduce the energy or water consumption of the product, and /or to reduce food waste.
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Steph at jmm PR
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Email: steph@jmmpr.co.uk
4th July 2022
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