Coca-Cola rolls out climate-friendly coolers

The Coca-Cola system plans to deploy this year up to 1,800 climate-friendly coolers and vending machines in the United States and Canada, Coca-Cola Co. and Coca-Cola Enterprises, Coke’s largest bottler, said Wednesday.

The U.S. House of Representatives will be among the first locations to get the new coolers, which eliminate 99 percent of direct greenhouse emissions, the companies said.

Coke plans to put 1,400 coolers and vending machines at venues for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Coca-Cola also launched Wednesday a partnership with the National Park Service, National Park Foundation and Trust for the National Mall to create a recycling program for the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, D.C.