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The common, but outdated, refrigerant called R-22 is a type of hydrochlorofluorocarbon.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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| LG LF20G6331* | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | April 17, 2025 |
| Midea UR-BCD512WX-SQ-IK | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | April 11, 2025 |
| Midea UR-BCD512WX-SQ | R-600a,2.29 | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | April 11, 2025 |
| Midea WHD-113F**L | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | April 10, 2025 |
| ELEMENT ERBM19CB* | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | April 10, 2025 |
| Midea WHS-121L**1 | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | April 8, 2025 |
| Frigidaire FRMS274TA* | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | April 7, 2025 |
| Midea MRF18B4A** | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | April 2, 2025 |
| Midea WHD-113F**1 | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | April 2, 2025 |
| Mainstays MS553614756001 | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | April 1, 2025 |
| Miele KFMC 3632 L | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 31, 2025 |
| Miele KFMC 3632 R | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 31, 2025 |
| Miele KFMC 3642 FD | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 31, 2025 |
| Miele KFMC 3642 L | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 31, 2025 |
| Miele KFMC 3642 R | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 31, 2025 |
| Miele KFMC 3836 R | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 31, 2025 |
| Miele KFMC 3836 L | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 31, 2025 |
| Comfee CERT31B0AIX | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 30, 2025 |
| LG LB12C2000* | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 21, 2025 |
| SAPPHIRE SW243SZSSPRADA | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 18, 2025 |
| ICEBOX IBCR25SUN | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 14, 2025 |
| Samsung RF90F23BE** | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 14, 2025 |
| Samsung RF90F29BE** | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 14, 2025 |
| ICEBOX IBCR25BLS | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 14, 2025 |
| ICEBOX IBCR25MNT | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 14, 2025 |
| ICEBOX IBCR25SLT | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 14, 2025 |
| ICEBOX IBCR17BLS | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 14, 2025 |
| ICEBOX IBCR17MNT | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 14, 2025 |
| ICEBOX IBCR17SLT | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 14, 2025 |
| ICEBOX IBCR17SUN | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 14, 2025 |
| Crosley CBMH1873A* | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 11, 2025 |
| LG LF24Z6530* | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 10, 2025 |
| LG LF25Z6211* | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 10, 2025 |
| Samsung RM80F23VM* | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 10, 2025 |
| Samsung RF90F29AE** | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 7, 2025 |
| Samsung RF90F23AE** | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 7, 2025 |
| Samsung RF90F29AE* | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 7, 2025 |
| Samsung RF90F23AE* | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 7, 2025 |
| KitchenAid KRSC336R**** | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | February 25, 2025 |
| PEPSI FR101PEP | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | February 21, 2025 |
Lowest GWP Freezers
| Model | Refrigerant Type | GWP | Inital Sale Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| BANGSON US-BSR-0176-1 | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 27, 2025 |
| BANGSON US-BSR-0176-2 | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 27, 2025 |
| BANGSON US-BSR-0176A | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 27, 2025 |
| BANGSON US-BSR-0196 | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 27, 2025 |
| BANGSON US-BSR-0196-1 | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 27, 2025 |
| BANGSON US-BSR-0196-2 | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 27, 2025 |
| BANGSON US-BSR-0196A | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 27, 2025 |
| BANGSON US-BSR-0176 | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | March 26, 2025 |
| WANAI BC/BD-63 | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | December 26, 2024 |
| WANAI BC/BD-110 | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | December 26, 2024 |
| Fisher & Paykel RS18F*E* | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | December 6, 2024 |
| Fisher & Paykel RS24F*E* | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | December 6, 2024 |
| Fisher & Paykel RS30F*E* | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | December 6, 2024 |
| WANAI BC/BD-79 | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | November 26, 2024 |
| 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 MUF80BLS | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | July 15, 2024 |
| Marathon MUF80W | R-600a | R-600a (GWP:3 | Lower GWP) | July 15, 2024 |