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How Rheem Makes It Easier to Find Sustainable Products

February 24, 2022
Rheem sustainability standout seal

Rheem® is leading the way in innovation. We’re designing solutions that give homeowners and businesses the opportunity to reduce their environmental impact. Our new Sustainability Standout™ seal helps them see which products reach those high sustainability standards.

“Rheem’s products are our biggest opportunity to make a positive environmental impact on the world around us. By creating Sustainability Standouts across our product offerings, we are making it easier for both the trade to recommend—and the end user to ask for—these more sustainable products,” said Sara Corbett, director of brand strategy and sustainability.

sustainability standouts wheelDesigning for Sustainability

Multiple teams at Rheem are involved from the start in making products that meet high sustainability standards. Our research and development, sourcing, manufacturing and other teams conduct strategy sessions that help them collaborate to deliver the best product for our customers. In these sessions, our teams determine where they can make the biggest impact, considering eight environmental factors and four factors that impact the plumber or end user’s quality of life. Before any new idea makes it through the product development process, we consider its production, its use and its end of life—and our sustainability strategy wheel helps us explore ways to integrate sustainability into the final product.

sustainability standout sealThe Sustainability Standout Seal Signifies High Standards

Many of our products have sustainable features, but certain products have earned our new Sustainability Standout seal. The seal takes into account key sustainability attributes such as energy efficiency, longevity, carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction, packaging, performance, features and recyclability. We developed a point system and products that reach a certain number of points earn the seal. We have environmentally friendly products that haven’t earned the seal, but the seal makes it easy for our customers to quickly identify those with the most sustainable attributes.

“At Rheem, we understand our products have an impact on our planet’s limited resources. We are focused on innovating with intent and engineering solutions with sustainability in mind. When you see the Sustainability Standout seal on a Rheem water heating product, it signifies a higher efficiency, more eco-friendly product compared to baseline water heaters. We’ve put an emphasis on features like grid enablement, auto shut off, leak detection and scheduling options – all which give homeowners greater control over their energy and water consumption,” said Hillary Heyerdahl, product manager.

Which Products Have Earned the Seal?

Many of our products have earned the seal. Our Rheem ProTerra™ Hybrid Electric Water Heater and the Rheem Prestige™ RTGH Tankless Gas Water Heater are great examples of residential Sustainability Standouts. On the commercial side, our Rheem Triton™ Water Heater has also earned the seal.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Reduction Levels

Since reducing CO2 emissions is critically important, we take our efforts a step further, measuring how much our existing and in-development products reduce CO2 emissions compared to their baseline counterparts. This chart gives the ranges of CO2 reduction that classify our Good, Better and Brand Best models.

carbon emissions chart
When browsing product offerings on Rheem.com, homeowners and businesses can filter by Sustainability Standout and by carbon reduction levels. Like the Sustainability Standout seal, these CO2 reduction levels help buyers find products that will help reduce their own environmental impact.

product search

We Help Homeowners Reach Their Sustainability Goals

Many homeowners are concerned about the impact they are having on the environment. Products with the Sustainability Standout seal and carbon reduction levels give them options when they’re looking to upgrade or replace their water heater. Builders often consider energy efficiency when putting together a plan for what products they’re going to install, and these products make great solutions for the future homeowners.

Our Positive Impact

To date, Rheem’s innovative water heating products in the U.S. alone have avoided 8.62 million tons of CO2 emissions. That’s equal to planting more than 142 million trees! Our collective efforts are making a positive impact, and we appreciate your support for sustainability.

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