Many refrigerants — the material in a freezer or refrigerator that are used to create a cooling effect — are harmful to the Earth’s atmosphere. As a result, they are labeled as having high “Global Warming Potential” or GWP.
Low GWP freezers and refrigerator do exist and can be spefically shopped for. These appliances usually used R-600a or R-441A refrigerants.
GWP ratings vary depending if you are looking at the number for the 25-, 50-, or 100-year impact of that material on the atmosphere. Lower numbers are better, so an ideal number would be 0, but ratings of 3 an under are considered good.
The common, but outdated, refrigerant called R-22 is a type of hydrochlorofluorocarbon. It’s sometimes labeled as HCFC-22 and has a GWP rating of about 1800 (100-year rating). On the other side of the spectrum there are substances like refrigerant grade ammonia (R-717) which has a GWP of 0, marking a vast improvement.
R-600a, or Iso-Butane, is an increasingly popular refrigerant 2022 thanks to its affordable price and low GWP (about 3). R-600 is commonly found in residential and small commercial refrigerators, freezers, water coolers, and drink dispensers.
Lowest GWP Refrigerators
| Model | Refrigerant Type | GWP | Inital Sale Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fisher & Paykel RS3684W* Ice & Water | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | November 15, 2024 |
| Danby or Danby Designer or Danby Premiere DAR032A7GDB | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | October 11, 2024 |
| Midea MDRF1100FGF04PRG | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | October 10, 2024 |
| MAXXIMUM MAXRD24O | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | October 9, 2024 |
| Arctic Wind ATM**212E | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | October 8, 2024 |
| Frigidaire FGFR797-6COM | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 30, 2024 |
| LG LK12S6000* | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 20, 2024 |
| Bertazzoni REF24BMFIXNV | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 20, 2024 |
| BERTAZZONII RBM24F4FXNV | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 20, 2024 |
| Equator RFI 1200 S | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 20, 2024 |
| Elica ER24SRB11IVS | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 20, 2024 |
| Elica ER24SRB11XVS | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 20, 2024 |
| FULGOR MILANO FM4FBM24IVS2 | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 20, 2024 |
| FULGOR MILANO FM4FBM24VS2 | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 20, 2024 |
| HALLMAN HBFSBMID24VS | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 20, 2024 |
| HALLMAN HBFSBMIDIM24VS | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 20, 2024 |
| VITARA VBFR1200EISE | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 20, 2024 |
| VITARA VBFR1200ESE | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 20, 2024 |
| Summit SBF16B | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 15, 2024 |
| Summit SBF16PL | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 15, 2024 |
| Summit SBF16SS | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 15, 2024 |
| Summit SBF16W | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 15, 2024 |
| Urban Bonfire HU24R*4C-**-***** | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 15, 2024 |
| Summit CTR151W | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 15, 2024 |
| Summit CTR152B | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 15, 2024 |
| Summit CTR153PL | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 15, 2024 |
| Summit CTR15SS | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 15, 2024 |
| Summit FF156B | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 15, 2024 |
| Summit FF156PL | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 15, 2024 |
| Summit FF156SS | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 15, 2024 |
| Summit FF156W | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 15, 2024 |
| Summit FFBF121W | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 15, 2024 |
| Summit FFBF122PL | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 15, 2024 |
| Summit FFBF123B | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 15, 2024 |
| Summit FFBF124SS | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 15, 2024 |
| Summit FFBF151W | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 15, 2024 |
| Summit FFBF152PL | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 15, 2024 |
| Summit FFBF153B | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 15, 2024 |
| Summit FFBF154SS | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 15, 2024 |
| Summit LBF12B | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 15, 2024 |
Lowest GWP Freezers
| Model | Refrigerant Type | GWP | Inital Sale Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| WANAI BC/BD-72 | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | October 25, 2024 |
| Midea MRU17F5A** | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | September 30, 2024 |
| Beko BUFR2715MG | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | July 31, 2024 |
| Frigidaire PRDF1922A* | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | July 19, 2024 |
| Marathon MUF80W | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | July 15, 2024 |
| Marathon MUF80BLS | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | July 15, 2024 |
| Midea MRU21F6A** | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | June 25, 2024 |
| Blomberg BRUF2814SS | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | May 31, 2024 |
| Blomberg BRUF2814WH | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | May 31, 2024 |
| VITARA VLUF1401EWE | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | May 25, 2024 |
| Conserv FR1400BREV | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | May 25, 2024 |
| Conserv FR1400SREV | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | May 25, 2024 |
| Conserv FR1400WREV | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | May 25, 2024 |
| Conserv FR1700BREV | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | May 25, 2024 |
| Conserv FR1700SREV | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | May 25, 2024 |
| Conserv FR1700WREV | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | May 25, 2024 |
| VITARA VLUF1701EWE | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | May 25, 2024 |
| VITARA VLUF1401ESE | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | May 25, 2024 |
| VITARA VLUF1701ESE | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | May 25, 2024 |
| Newair NFS140**00 | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | May 9, 2024 |