Coke commits to ‘green' coolers, vending machines
For the AJC
Coca-Cola Co. said Thursday that all of its new vending machines and coolers will be free of hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, by 2015, helping cut a source of greenhouse gases that scientists say are contributing to global warming.
The move, announced jointly with Greenpeace, comes as world leaders prepare for a United Nations summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, on climate change.
Greenpeace, a leading environmental organization, initially challenged Coca-Cola to use HFC-free equipment building up to the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The group applauded Coca-Cola on Thursday for coming up with a solution to the problem and rolling it out on a global basis in both developed and developing nations.
Coca-Cola has spent more than $50 million on research and development for the new equipment, which the company has already been deploying. Instead of HFCs, it uses natural refrigerants, such as hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide, that do not significantly harm the ozone layer or affect climate.
The beverage giant and its bottlers have about 10 million coolers and vending machines worldwide. As a system, they will purchase a minimum of 150,000 units of HFC-free equipment next year, Coca-Cola said.
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