Regular beverage vending machines use primarily hydroflurocarbon (HFC) systems to cool your drink of choice.  Unfortunately, HFC systems are a major source of greenhouse gases.  Coca Cola, the largest beverage company in the world, has decided to switch to CO2 systems in an effort to decrease Coke’s environmental impact.

Recently, Neville Isdell, Chief of Coca Cola, announced that his company was going to be purchasing 100,000 CO2 vending machines at a cost 25% higher than normal HFC units.  He also noted that this was a direct response on the part of his company to lower Coca Cola’s environmental footprint.

Coca Cola conducted a study to determine where it was affecting the environment the most.  The study showed that the 10 million HFC vending machines and coolers, that the company uses globally, were the biggest environmental offenders.

Now 100,000 CO2 machines compared to 10 million HCF machines appears to be a drop in the bucket.  But, Coca Cola has been replacing HFC units since 2006 in small increments.  Coke had 6,000 CO2 units installed around the world just by the end of 2006.

Not only do these units produce 75% less green house gasses than HFC units, but the CO2 units are also more energy efficient.  Since Coca Cola has committed to replacing 98% of future purchases with CO2 vending machines and coolers, the company will gradually be replacing each older unit with a cleaner more efficient machine.

Having grown up in Atlanta and attended several Georgia schools that were the recipients of large Coca Cola donations, I like the fact that Coca Cola is taking steps to improve its environmental footprint. 

Now if Coke could just shift all of its delivery vehicles to electric vehicles……

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Entry was posted on Monday, June 2nd, 2008 at 3:47 pm under Green Technology.

Read more entries by Susan Wilson.
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