By David Reed, UT EditorLondon-An American refrigerator manufacturer has found a new way of 'going green,' while also creating a new market for artists. Under the Artists for a Cool Planet project, sponsored by US environmental group American Forests, Danby USA has created a limited-edition range of refrigerators featuring works of art by contemporary and traditional artists.Ten artists have donated original works for reproduction on refrigerators in the range, tradenamed Danby Art Coolers. The works of art will be reproduced on just 100 models each, available exclusively online at danbyartcoolers.com. And, each time a Danby Art Cooler is purchased, American Forests will plant ten trees in a damaged ecosystem restoration project. Ten trees will more than offset the carbon emissions generated by the Art Cooler's electricity usage, according to the firm, making the experience of owning and operating a Danby Art Cooler 'carbon positive,' the firm claims.In a mechanical process that was duplicated in a distinctive way with each artist's original work, mixtures of varnish, pigments and other materials are applied to a wooden panel and then painstakingly transferred to a metal sheet before being applied to the face of the refrigerator. The approach is also used with special editions of other Danby products including its keg coolers.American Forests, founded in 1875, is an American non-profit conservation organisation dedicated to trees and their role in growing a healthier world.Danby claims it is one of the largest household appliance marketing and manufacturing companies in North America, with a wide range of compact appliances. The firm was founded in Montreal, Canada in 1947, as a manufacturer of small electrical appliances and compact refrigerators. Danby opened its US home office in Findlay, Ohio in 1992."
