Quick Key Facts
- The United Nations has encouraged governments worldwide to rewild 2.47 billion acres of degraded land in the next several years.
- Rewilding isn’t just about adding back one or two species of plants and animals to an area; it’s about restoring and conserving whole ecosystems, from keystone species to soil, to allow them a chance to thrive.
- One of the greatest rewilding success stories of modern times is the reintroduction of gray wolves in Yellowstone National Park, which restored the balance of the entire ecosystem, from elk and deer to trees, riverbanks and songbirds.
- Of 730 ecoregions studied by scientists globally, less than 6% continue to have the extensive and intact communities of large mammals seen 500 years ago.
- According to researchers, 64% of the planet’s large carnivores that remain are facing extinction, with 80% declining.
- One study found that reintroducing 20 large mammals — 7 predator and 13 herbivore species, such as bison, brown bears, jaguars, wild horses, Eurasian beavers, reindeer, moose, elk, tigers, wolverines and hippos — can help biodiversity regenerate worldwide while also tackling the climate crisis.
- Of the 74 large herbivore species surviving globally that weigh 220 pounds or more, 59% are threatened with extinction.
- Soil that is covered in trees absorbs rainwater 67 times faster than grass-covered soil.
- Encouragingly, according to a 2020 study, 46% of lands that are not permanently covered in snow or ice have been found to have “low human influence.”
- Less than 1% of regions that were once dominated by tropical coniferous forests, temperate grasslands and tropical dry forests are classified as having a “very low” level of human influence.
What Is ‘Rewilding’?
It’s no secret that modern humans have ravaged the planet. We have decimated ecosystems to make way for monocrop agriculture, the raising of beef cattle and development. Ecosystems that had maintained a delicate balance for millions of years have been turned into ecological wastelands with cascading negative effects on biodiversity, humanity and essential biogeochemical processes like Earth’s water cycle.
Rewilding is the reversing of negative impacts on natural environments through the restoration and conservation of ecosystems, wilderness areas and their natural processes, and it is essential for the survival of most life on our planet.
Rewilding involves reintroducing native species and allowing nature to heal and nurture itself. Doing so can not only restore biodiversity, but it can protect endangered species, prevent flooding and help mitigate climate change.
Why Is Rewilding Important? Why Does It Matter?
Rewilding on both small and large scales provides and preserves natural habitats for plant and animal species. It can also mean added lands for wildlife corridors, improve species diversity, lower carbon dioxide emissions, improve air quality and carbon sequestration, help balance the water cycle, protect against excessive runoff and flooding and make environments more climate-change resilient.
Benefits of Rewilding
Restores Native Species and Ecosystems
Rewilding restores ecosystems by reestablishing the habitats of native plants and animals, thereby reinstating their food chains and rebuilding biodiversity.
Rewilding makes ecosystems stronger because those that have been rewilded have a tendency to become more resilient to climate change and environmental changes in general. Their complexity and diversity means they are better protected against invasive species, natural disasters and extreme weather, and tend to bounce back more quickly.
Improves Species Diversity and Protects Threatened and Endangered Species
When an environment is rewilded, keystone species — like wolves, bears, beavers and wildcats — are reintroduced. These animals are essential to the balance of an ecosystem; other animals, as well as plants, rely on them, and if they are removed, drastic ecosystem changes, or even collapse, can occur.
Many keystone species — such as mountain gorillas, jaguars, gray wolves, black rhinos, California condors, humpback whales and ivory tree coral — are threatened or endangered. Reintroducing them through rewilding efforts can boost their numbers and give them a chance to bounce back. And since other plants and animals rely on keystone species, their reintroduction contributes to enhanced species diversity.
A herd of bison at Custer State Park, Black Hills, South Dakota on July 16, 2013. Charles (Chuck) Peterson / Flickr
Rewilding can also involve the reintroduction of species that have been driven out by development or have died off in particular ecosystems due to lack of resources or loss of habitat, thereby effectively “plugging crucial gaps” in particular ecosystems.
Supports Biodiversity
When biodiversity is restored to a region through rewilding, natural ecosystem functions are also reinstated, such as seed dispersal, species predation and nutrient cycling. All of these activities bring back the natural balance to the affected area and beyond.
Improves Trophic Cascades
Trophic cascades occur when top predators in the food chain are lost, leading to indirect interactions between species that can result in powerful effects on whole ecosystems.
Human activities like agriculture, deforestation and poaching, as well as human-caused climate change, have resulted in the decline and sometimes extinction of important predators.
When rewilding efforts reintroduce crucial species like these to a region, they can have positive influences on their habitats, with reverberations throughout the food chain and ecosystem that can help reestablish a natural balance.
Adds to the Patchwork of Lands for Wildlife Corridors
Wildlife corridors are essential for giving species — particularly large mammals like wolves, bears and big cats — the extensive ranges they need to find adequate resources and mates. Rehabilitating and preserving wild spaces through rewilding can add to the network of wildlands these animals need to survive.
Helps Balance the Water Cycle & Improves Water Quality
Earth’s water cycle — which began approximately 3.8 billion years ago — is the process of water evaporating from the planet’s surface, rising into the atmosphere, condensing into precipitation in clouds and falling back onto land or into waterways and the ocean. The water collects in lakes, rivers, porous rock layers and soils, with much of it flowing back into the ocean to evaporate again.
The water cycle is impacted by many forms of human manipulation of the planet, including deforestation, irrigation and global heating, which contributes to marine heat waves, the melting of Arctic sea ice, sea level rise and ocean acidification.
All of these destructive activities can be healed by rewilding. Rewilding can rehabilitate underwater habitats, in addition to deforested landscapes and those that have been scarred or destroyed by human development, while mitigating global heating and climate change.
By rewilding rivers and removing dams, species like salmon can be allowed to recover, which benefits their predators — including bears, a keystone species — as well as the overall balance of the ecosystem. River rewilding can also help prevent the hydrological extremes that can lead to flooding or stresses from low water flow — like abnormal temperature fluctuations — and cause lower oxygen levels and algal blooms, which have the potential to affect species and water quality.
Restores Healthy Ecosystems That Act as Buffers During Natural Disasters
Over time, ecosystems develop a natural balance between their plant and mammal inhabitants and the air, water and soil. When these ecosystems are degraded or destroyed, they lose their ability to protect against natural disasters. Rewilded ecosystems provide a built-in defense against flooding, drought and wildfires.
When it rains, a forest’s tree and plant roots absorb excess rainwater, while the tree canopy keeps the ground from becoming saturated all at once. These actions mitigate runoff and flooding by preventing rainwater from rushing over the land and into streams or rivers. This also prevents soil from washing into waterways and creating sediment buildup. And if the soil contains pesticides or other toxic chemicals, they are less likely to end up in the water supply.
According to Mossy Earth, soil that is covered in trees absorbs rainwater 67 times faster than grass-covered soil. Tree roots also anchor soil in place, preventing severe erosion and landslides during heavy rain.
By contrast, water stored in forest soil can be released during dry periods, providing moisture and clean water in times of drought.
Healthy ecosystems containing bodies of water, snow, ice, broadleaf forest, grassland corridors or sparse plant growth can also provide natural fire breaks or buffers that can slow down or block the spread of wildfires.
Reintroducing large grazing herbivores can also create sparse patches of vegetation in the landscape, providing natural firebreaks.
Helps Mitigate Climate Change
Human activities are directly responsible for climate change because they produce the greenhouse gas emissions — released when humans burn fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal for energy — that are responsible for global warming. Rewilding can rebalance ecosystems, whose plants, trees and soils absorb and sequester carbon emissions, helping to improve air quality and regulate the climate.
Opens Up Opportunities for Rewilding Tourism
Restoring natural ecosystems provides an opportunity for communities that have traditionally relied on the land for agriculture and cattle farming to share their unique environments with others through rewilding and ecotourism.
This allows travelers who are mindful of their impact on the planet to visit places that have been restored, which brings in revenue for the local community while supporting an economy based on living in harmony with nature rather than overusing or destroying it.
Provides Mental and Physical Benefits for Humans
The physical and mental benefits to humans of spending time surrounded by nature have been well documented. By rewilding and preserving natural habitats, we open up more places for us to enjoy their healing rewards.
Challenges to Rewilding
Land Availability
In a 2020 study, three of four spatial assessments found that, of Earth’s land that is not permanently covered in snow or ice, 46% has had “low human influence.” This means that roughly half of Earth’s non-snow- or ice-covered surface remains relatively untouched.
Nations meeting at the COP15 United Nations Biodiversity Conference in 2022 agreed upon the Kunming-Montreal Global biodiversity framework, which included a goal of conserving 30% of the planet’s lands and oceans by 2030.
However, current land use and availability of lands are two of the biggest obstacles to rewilding. Much of developed land is being used for agriculture, housing and commercial and leisure activities. For social, cultural and economic reasons, rewilding these lands faces resistance.
This makes it all the more important to use regenerative agricultural practices — as well as to create urban spaces that are more pollinator and wildlife friendly — in regions that were once dominated by tropical coniferous forests, temperate grasslands and tropical dry forests, as less than 1% of these lands are classified as having a “very low” level of human influence.
Policy Barriers
There are many existing policies that can frustrate rewilding efforts, such as regulations of “dangerous and wild animals”; policies regarding access to the countryside; agricultural policy; and energy policies that find renewable energy developments like wind turbines to be inconsistent with wildlands. In some cases, land that was available for potential rewilding is instead awarded to lucrative wind energy projects.
Public Acceptance
While most people agree that a thriving environment provides benefits for everyone, rewilding is not always readily accepted by farmers, who sometimes have concerns about loss of their traditional practices as well as economic effects. Some farmers are also fearful of how the reintroduction of keystone species like wolves may affect the animals they keep.
However, while some changes and uncertainty may have to be accepted in the short term, rewilding is the best option to mitigate the much broader and longer lasting effects of climate breakdown caused by the removal of keystone species and the degradation of our wildlands.
Funding
The funding of rewilding initiatives involves a host of sometimes creative revenue sources. These can include the use of carbon offset funds; government grants; farmers being paid to rewild their land; businesses providing financing for “biodiversity net gain” — land management or development that has a goal of leaving the environment in a state that is measurably better than before; corporate sponsorships; public donations, including apps that allow people to donate funds to rewilding projects while also informing them as to their progress; ecotourism; and public-private partnerships.
Successful Rewilding Efforts Around the World
There have been many successful rewilding efforts around the world — here are two examples.
Reintroduction of Gray Wolves to Yellowstone National Park
One of the greatest rewilding success stories in history was the reintroduction of gray wolves to Yellowstone National Park after a nearly 70-year absence. As a keystone species, wolves played such a crucial role in the ecosystem that their disappearance was felt in the air, skies, water and trees of the park.
The last of Yellowstone’s wolf packs was eradicated by employees of the massive 3,472-square-mile park in 1926, with the idea of eliminating all its resident predators. Bears and cougars were also removed, and the result was an illustration of just how important every member of an ecosystem — from soil microbes to large mammals — is to its balance.
First, populations of elk exploded, which led to aspens and willows becoming overgrazed. The loss of these trees resulted in beavers being unable to build their dams because of riverbank erosion, a decrease in songbirds and a rise in water temperatures, which affected coldwater fish.
Then, in 1995, Yellowstone welcomed back 14 individual wolves from Canada, who right away began to restore the damaged ecosystem. Elk and deer populations were brought down, which allowed trees to bounce back. This stabilized riverbanks, and songbirds were heard once again. Other animals like eagles, foxes and badgers also returned, further adding to the robust biodiversity of the country’s first national park.
Reintroduction of the Eurasian Beaver to the United Kingdom
Once a familiar sight in Asia and Europe, the Eurasian beaver was hunted to extinction by the 16th century in many countries, including the UK.
Starting in 2021, beavers were reintroduced in the UK’s Isle of Wight, Derbyshire, Dorset, Montgomeryshire, South Down and Nottinghamshire. The results have been tremendous in restoring populations to their native habitats.
Their presence has served to reduce water flow, leading to a decrease in the effects of flooding by as much as 60%. Beaver dams also remove and sequester carbon, as their fashioned wetlands promote new plant growth, creating valuable carbon sinks.
What Can We Do to Support Rewilding?
As a Society?
Rewilding is a set of actions that humans need to embrace in order to restore ecosystems and biodiversity to their once healthy states. The concept of rewilding is unfamiliar to many people, so talking about it more often and in-depth, as well as discussing what we can do as a society to facilitate it, is important for making rewilding a more familiar and frequent reality.
Encourage leaders and policymakers to include rewilding in their agendas and support those who do.
In Our Own Lives?
Each patch of Earth is a microcosm of an ecosystem made up of soil, minerals and nutrients that supports plants and insects and is most likely inhabited by larger species like rodents, birds and mammals. Everyone who has access to any amount of land to the extent that they are able to rewild it can take steps to improve soil quality and plant native flowers — including those that attract pollinators — trees, shrubs and ferns that will be beneficial for a myriad of species.
This relatively small but important act of rewilding will improve and expand the functioning and biodiversity of your local ecosystem, as well as provide habitat, food and shelter for traveling species like birds who may be passing through.
It will also provide you with abundant opportunities to observe native wildlife from your window, porch or garden.
Another way to help with local rewilding efforts is to contact policymakers and encourage them to establish pollinator gardens or rewild unused lands — even land next to or on medians of a highway or road can be rewilded or, at the very least, left alone to grow and replenish itself.
You can also volunteer with a local conservation organization or wildlife trust, help plant native species with a community group or nonprofit or even start a community garden with your neighbors.
Whatever you do to support rewilding efforts in your local area will help rehabilitate habitat and encourage wildlife to return to land that was once theirs too.
Takeaway
Ecosystems are like a beautiful piece of music being played by an orchestra with many instruments, each vital to its harmony. Humans have learned through destructive actions that removing keystone species we have deemed predatory and dangerous leads to trophic cascades with devastating effects to ecosystems and biodiversity. Destroying rainforests to make way for crops like palm oil and soybeans and continuing to burn fossil fuels are just some of the other actions humans continue to take that are tipping the balance against healthy ecosystems and climate stabilization.
Instead, we have a responsibility to restore once-wild lands to their healthy and balanced states through rewilding and conservation. Rewilding is an integral part of the set of actions — including using vastly less land for industrial agriculture and cattle ranching, while changing our diets from meat-based to more plant-based foods and slashing plastics production and waste — that we must take to combat global heating and curb the climate crisis.
The post Rewilding 101: Everything You Need to Know appeared first on EcoWatch.
https://www.ecowatch.com/rewilding-facts-ecowatch.html
Green Living
Best of Sustainability In Your Ear: Liquidonate CEO Disney Petit On Solving The Retail Returns Crisis
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What if the solution to the retail industry’s $890 billion returns crisis wasn’t better logistics, but better logic? Disney Petit, founder and CEO of Liquidonate, is proving that the most sustainable return skips the trip back to a warehouse and goes directly to a community in need. Americans returned nearly 17% of all retail purchases last year, generating 2.6 million tons of landfill waste and 16 million tons of CO2 emissions. Each return costs retailers between $25 and $35 to process, yet 52% of consumers admit to participating in return fraud at least once. Petit witnessed this broken system firsthand as employee number 15 at Postmates, where she built the customer service team and created Civic Labs, the company’s social responsibility arm. Her food security product Bento, which allowed people without smartphones to access free food via text message, won Time Magazine’s 2021 Invention of the Year Award. Now Liquidonate has earned recognition as one of Time’s Best Inventions of 2025.
Liquidonate integrates directly with retailers’ existing warehouse and return management systems. When a product comes back and can’t be resold—open box, slightly damaged, or simply unwanted—the platform automatically matches it with a local nonprofit or school that needs it. “It’s the same reverse logistics workflow they already use,” Petit explains. “It’s just redirected toward community good instead of going to the landfill.” The platform handles everything: shipping labels, pickup coordination, and tax documentation so retailers can write off donations. Retailers recover logistics costs through tax benefits while communities receive quality products, and millions of pounds of goods stay out of landfills.
To date, retailers using Liquidonate have diverted over 12 million items from landfills, working with more than 4,000 nonprofits across the country. Liquidonate also tackles return fraud by eliminating “keep it” returns, when customers claim they want to return something but are told to keep the item and still receive a refund. “One hundred percent of the time we’re producing a shipping label for a nonprofit who wants that product,” Petit says. “We completely eliminate that keep-it return option, so we eliminate the returns fraud option.” With $900 billion worth of inventory potentially available for redirection, Petit approaches the business through the lens of environmental justice, building a for-profit company designed to prove that doing good and doing well aren’t mutually exclusive—they’re interdependent.
Nonprofits and schools can sign up for free at liquidonate.com. Retailers interested in partnering can reach out to partners@liquidonate.com.
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Editor’s Note: This episode originally aired on November 17, 2025.
The post Best of Sustainability In Your Ear: Liquidonate CEO Disney Petit On Solving The Retail Returns Crisis appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/podcast/sustainability-in-your-ear-liquidonate-ceo-disney-petit-on-solving-the-retail-returns-crisis/
We would all like to buy the most environmentally friendly appliances available. But in real life, energy efficiency is only one of many factors we need to consider when we’re making major purchases. If you’re dealing with a narrow galley kitchen, living in a tiny house, or dealing with any number of awkward kitchen configurations, the dimensions of your new refrigerator might be your top priority. Fortunately, if a counter-depth refrigerator is non-negotiable, there are extremely efficient options.
The refrigerators in the original 2021 version of this guide are either discontinued, superseded, or now five years into an appliance lifecycle that averages 10–14 years. A lot has changed — and not just the model numbers.
Counter-depth refrigerators have closed much of the capacity gap with standard-depth models. In 2024, LG and Samsung introduced counter-depth models reaching 26.5–27 cubic feet, nearly matching standard-depth capacity without jutting past your cabinets.
Even better, refrigerant reform is also essentially complete: R-600a, which has a global warming potential 500 times lower than previous refrigerants, is now the industry standard across virtually all new household refrigerators sold in the U.S. You no longer need to check the door sticker for refrigerant type — it’s almost certainly R-600a. One new nuance: R-600a is flammable. This doesn’t create meaningful safety risk in normal use, but it does mean sealed-system repairs must be performed by a technician with hydrocarbon-rated recovery equipment. Ask before scheduling service.
This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase an item through one of these links, we receive a small commission that helps fund our Recycling Directory.
How to Choose a Counter-Depth Refrigerator
Counter-depth isn’t a single spec, it’s a range. True counter-depth refrigerators, which are 24- to 25-inches deep, offer a counter-flush look but are relatively rare. Most models marketed as counter-depth run 27–30 inches deep are still meaningfully shallower than standard-depth units, which range from 32 to 36 inches. Be sure to measure your space carefully before shopping.
- Fit first. Measure the opening width, depth (including door swing clearance and handle protrusion), and height. Leave at least 1 inch on each side and top for ventilation. Note any door swing obstructions, such as islands, adjacent cabinets, dishwasher handles.
- Right-size for your household. The commonly cited rule is that each person needs 4 to 6 cubic feet of total capacity. A household of two can usually work with 16–20 cubic foot fridge; three to four people generally need 20–26 cubic feet. Don’t oversize, as a mostly empty refrigerator is less efficient than one that’s three-quarters full.
- Freezer configuration. Top-freezer models remain the most energy-efficient configuration per cubic foot. Bottom-freezer designs put fresh food at eye level but add mechanical complexity. French-door models are most popular and offer the widest variety but use more energy and generate more service calls than simpler designs.
- Energy consumption, not just certification. Energy Star certification means a model uses at least 10% less energy than the federal minimum. That’s a floor, not a ceiling. Check the yellow EnergyGuide label on the appliance for estimated annual kWh; typically the difference between the best and worst Energy Star-certified counter-depth models can be 200+ kWh per year, a $20–$40 annual gap at annual utility rates.
- Refrigerant. As of 2025, R-600a is effectively universal in new U.S. refrigerators. Verify on the data plate inside the fresh-food compartment.
- Features that raise energy use. Through-door ice and water dispensers, in-door ice makers, anti-sweat heaters, and smart screens all increase electricity consumption. If you don’t need them, the most efficient models skip them. Internal water dispensers are a reasonable middle ground that provide convenience without an exterior mechanism that uses electricity.
- Reliability data. French-door models with ice makers generate significantly more service calls than simpler designs. Yale Appliance’s 2026 service data, based on 33,190 service calls, ranks LG and GE as the most reliable counter-depth French-door brands, with Bosch leading on temperature stability. Consumer Reports members can find long-term predicted reliability rankings by brand at consumerreports.org, where GE brands and Bosch consistently rank near the top for long-term predicted reliability.
- Service access. A reliable brand is only as good as the technicians who can fix it. GE has the broadest national service network. Bosch and LG are well-supported in most metros. Samsung has historically had longer repair wait times, a real consideration for a decade-long appliance relationship.
- Don’t forget disposal. When your old refrigerator goes, the R-600a refrigerant must be recovered by a certified technician before recycling. Use Earth911’s recycling search to find appliance recyclers near you, and confirm that they are an EPA Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) partner to ensure proper refrigerant handling.
The Best Counter-Depth Refrigerators in 2026
The original article featured models from 2021, most of which are discontinued. Here are current alternatives organized by configuration, prioritizing Energy Star certification, current availability, and documented reliability.
Best for Energy Efficiency: Frigidaire FFTR1835VW (Top Freezer)
Top-freezer models remain the most efficient configuration available. The Frigidaire FFTR1835VW is an 18.3 cu. ft. Energy Star–certified top-freezer with a 30-inch depth, which is significantly shallower than standard models. It uses approximately 369 kWh/year, forgoes energy-intensive features like an ice maker and through-door dispenser, and includes humidity-controlled crisper drawers and an auto-defrost function. It’s also garage-ready (tested from 38°F to 110°F) and ADA compliant. No smart features, no ice maker; just efficient, reliable cold storage.
Depth: 30 in. | Capacity: 18.3 cu. ft. | Est. energy: ~369 kWh/yr | Price range: $600–$750
Best Value French Door (33″): Samsung RF18A5101SR
For smaller kitchens that want a French-door design without a full 36-inch footprint, the Samsung RF18A5101SR is a 33-inch-wide counter-depth model with 17.5 cu. ft. total capacity. Its Twin Cooling Plus system uses two independent evaporators to keep refrigerator and freezer air separate to extend food life and limit odor transfer. It includes an ice maker, Wi-Fi connectivity via Samsung’s SmartThings app, Power Cool and Power Freeze modes, and Energy Star certification. The 33-inch width is a significant advantage for kitchens with narrower openings. Note: Samsung’s service network can have longer wait times in some regions — check availability before purchasing.
Depth: 28.5 in. | Capacity: 17.5 cu. ft. | Est. energy: ~448 kWh/yr | Price range: $1,100–$1,500
Best Large-Capacity Counter-Depth: LG LRFLC2706S (Counter-Depth MAX)
The LG LRFLC2706S resolves what was long the core counter-depth trade-off: it delivers 26.5 cu. ft. of storage in a counter-depth footprint — previously only achievable with a standard-depth unit. The Counter-Depth MAX uses thinner walls and advanced insulation to achieve this. It includes an internal water dispenser (no exterior mechanism, which reduces complexity), an ice maker, Door Cooling+ for even temperature distribution, a PrintProof stainless finish, and Wi-Fi via LG’s ThinQ app. Energy Star certified. Yale Appliance’s 2026 reliability data ranks LG as one of the top performers for first-year service rates in this category.
Depth: 29.25 in. | Capacity: 26.5 cu. ft. | Est. energy: ~632 kWh/yr | Price range: $1,700–$2,200
Best for Food Preservation: Bosch 800 Series B36CT80SNS
No other freestanding counter-depth refrigerator matches Bosch’s food preservation system. The B36CT80SNS uses dual compressors and dual evaporators, keeping refrigerator and freezer air completely separate to prevent humidity fluctuations that accelerate produce spoilage and limits odor transfer. Bosch’s FarmFresh System includes VitaFreshPro automatic temperature and humidity balancing for different food types and SuperCool/SuperFreeze modes for rapid chilling of new groceries. The adjustable FlexBar adds organizational flexibility. Energy Star certified. Yale’s 2026 service data shows Bosch’s first-year service rate at 12.7% — higher than LG but with notably fewer cooling failures; its strength is sustained temperature stability rather than low failure probability.
Depth: 24 in. (case); 29 in. with handles | Capacity: 21 cu. ft. | Est. energy: ~530 kWh/yr | Price range: $2,800–$3,500
Best Premium Option: GE Profile PVD28BYNFS (4-Door French Door)
The GE Profile PVD28BYNFS is a 4-door, 27.9 cu. ft. French-door model with a door-in-door design for quick-access storage without opening the main compartment — reducing cold air loss on high-traffic items. GE’s TwinChill dual evaporators maintain optimal humidity and temperature in fresh-food and freezer sections independently. Includes a hands-free, sensor-controlled AutoFill water dispenser, an adjustable-temperature middle drawer with four preset modes for meat, beverage, snacks, and wine, as well as an LED light wall and Wi-Fi. Energy Star certified with an estimated operating cost of approximately $91/year. GE has the widest service network of any major appliance brand, which matters over a 10+ year ownership horizon.
Depth: 36.75 in. (standard depth; counter-depth version also available) | Capacity: 27.9 cu. ft. | Est. energy: ~760 kWh/yr (est. $91/yr operating cost) | Price range: $2,400–$3,200
Counter-Depth Refrigerator Comparison
| Model | Config | Depth | Capacity | Est. kWh/yr | Price Range | Best For |
| Frigidaire FFTR1835VW | Top freezer | 30 in. | 18.3 cu. ft. | ~369 | $600–$750 | Max efficiency, budget buyers, small households |
| Samsung RF18A5101SR | French door | 28.5 in. | 17.5 cu. ft. | ~448 | $1,100–$1,500 | Narrow kitchens (33″), mid-budget |
| LG LRFLC2706S | French door | 29.25 in. | 26.5 cu. ft. | ~632 | $1,700–$2,200 | Families needing standard-depth capacity with counter-depth fit |
| Bosch 800 Series B36CT80SNS | French door | 24/29 in. | 21 cu. ft. | ~530 | $2,800–$3,500 | Food preservation, open kitchens, long food storage |
| GE Profile PVD28BYNFS | 4-door French door | 36.75 in.* | 27.9 cu. ft. | ~760 | $2,400–$3,200 | Entertainers, home cooks, service reliability |
*GE Profile PVD28BYNFS is primarily standard-depth; a counter-depth version is available at select retailers.
Getting the Most From Your Refrigerator
The most efficient refrigerator you can buy is the one you already own, as long as it’s working properly. To make your fridge last longer, take these simple steps:
- Set the refrigerator to 35–38°F and the freezer to 0°F. These are the optimal food-safe temperatures.
- Clean condenser coils 1–2 times per year. Dusty coils force the compressor to work harder.
- Check door seals. If a dollar bill slides out easily when the door is closed, the gasket needs replacing.
- Keep it three-quarters full. Both overfilled and mostly empty refrigerators are less efficient.
- Turn off the anti-sweat heater if your climate doesn’t require it, as it’s one of the bigger phantom draws.
Editor’s Note: Originally published on March 24, 2021, this article was substantially updated in April 2026.
The post Buyer’s Guide: Most Efficient Counter-Depth Refrigerators appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/home-garden/efficient-counter-depth-refrigerators/
There are certain things in nature we take for granted. We wake up and the sun is shining, or temporarily blurred by clouds. We pour a glass of water and trust it’s safe to drink. We take a deep breath of fresh air, not spending a minute worrying whether it will harm us.
But some pockets of the world don’t have this luxury today, and many experts predict more and more people across the globe won’t either as we move forward into the 21st century.
Clean air. Clean water. A livable climate. All at risk.
Trees Help Restore Our Planet
To preserve our planet for our children and future generations, we no longer have the luxury to take any of this for granted. So today, on Arbor Day, we want to put forth one word, a powerful solution to re-balance our planet: trees.
Is anything more miraculous than the simplicity and perfection of trees?
Trees are nature’s original life preserver. They’re a simple solution for a global environment increasingly at risk. Without the great cleansing of the atmosphere that trees provide; without the great purification of our soil, rivers, and aquifers that trees make possible; without trees, life on Earth wouldn’t exist.
Sadly, at the very time we need them most, trees are under assault.
- There are wildfires, nearly 65,000 wildfires in 2024, that burned almost 9 million acres across the U.S., above both the five- and ten-year averages.
- Taken together, U.S. wildfires consumed more than 75 million acres over the past decade — an area larger than the entire state of Colorado — according to annual statistics compiled by the National Interagency Coordination Center at the National Interagency Fire Center.
- There are droughts, the extended dry spells that have killed hundreds of millions of trees across California and the broader West over the past decade.
- There are insect infestations, which claim more than 6 million acres of land across the U.S. every year.
- And finally, there is human-caused deforestation; we continue to lose more than 15 billion trees around the world every year.
Human behavior contributes to many of these tragedies. So, it’s our profound responsibility to plant trees. It’s hugely important, with our planet hanging in the balance.
Plant A Million Trees
We cannot take trees for granted. Trees are not a “nice to have”; they’re a “must have.” As a nation, as a world — as people who need a survivable future — we must plant more trees now.
This year’s Arbor Day, on Friday, April 24, 2026, arrives with a double milestone. The Arbor Day Foundation is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Tree City USA, its landmark urban forestry recognition program, as it also launches the Million Trees Project, a campaign to plant 1 million new trees and assemble the world’s largest collection of personal tree stories.
Since 1976, Tree City USA has grown from 42 recognized communities to more than 3,500 cities and towns across all 50 states. Those communities plant nearly 1 million trees annually and collectively invested $2 billion in trees in their most recent reporting year. That’s what sustained civic commitment looks like; it’s the foundation on which the Million Trees Project is building.
Trees are one thing we can all agree on. In a contentious and fractured world, they cross the technology divide, the political divide, the equality divide, and the culture divide. If ever there was a time to plant trees, now is that time.
Let’s Plant Trees Together
Everyone can be part of the Million Trees Project. The campaign runs through National Arbor Day and beyond, with three ways to participate:
- Plant a tree — then share your story. Individuals can plant at least one tree and submit a photo or short narrative at org/celebrate, documenting what was planted, where, and why.
- Schools and classrooms can register a tree-planting event, log trees planted, and submit student stories to the campaign database.
- Communities and municipalities — especially Tree City USA designees — can register mass planting events, with every tree counted toward the million-tree goal.
Together, let’s restore our forests, build healthier communities, improve quality of life, and put our simplest and best solution to climate change into action. Let’s pave the way for future generations and their health and well-being.
A tree planted today will always make our lives better tomorrow. Today, on Arbor Day, and every day from here on out, take a moment to look at trees differently — as a life source, as a well of joy and natural beauty, as humanity’s life saver and preserver.
Together, let’s get this job done.
If you don’t have space or time to plant a tree yourself, you can plant a tree virtually through these organizations.
Editor’s Note: Originally published on April 24, 2019, this article was most recently updated with current in April 2026. Feature image by Tien Vu from Pixabay
The post Take Action on Arbor Day to Help Our Planet appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/inspire/arbor-day-call-to-action/
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