PepsiCo tests 'green' vending machines

Published: 19 May 2009 19:15:29 PST

PepsiCo Inc is testing greener vending machines, a move that would help the soft-drink maker reduce its environmental footprint and give businesses a little relief on their electric bills. The test involving 30 machines in the Washington DC area has just begun. Pepsi hopes to begin rolling them out worldwide over the next couple of years, informed Robert Lewis, vice-president, packaging and equipment development, PepsiCo.

The new machines use 5.08 kW-hours of energy a day, down about 15 per cent from a nationwide average of 6 kW-hours consumed by currently used machines. Current machines already use 44 per cent less energy on an average than the machines used six years ago. The new machines also emit about 12 per cent less greenhouse gas, in part keeping the drinks cool with carbon dioxide instead of the usual hydroflurocarbons (HFCs), which scientists say contribute to global warming. The new machines are more expensive than the current equipment.

Vending machines are typically owned and serviced by the company’s bottlers, which share revenues with the offices, schools and stores that house them. PepsiCo worked with Greenpeace Solutions, an arm of the large environmental organisation, to develop the programme.