Pepsi Gets Greener—If You Must Drink Soda from Vending Machines

You try and try to resist but you can't help that you can already taste the bubbles on your tongue. While the drink is evil, at least the vending machine could be shaping up. According to Green Daily, Pepsi is launching energy-conscious vending machines. Thirty test machines will be introduced in the Washington DC area with a 15 percent lighter energy footprint than current machines which are already 44 percent more efficient than those from six years ago. The machines, which will also generate 12 percent less greenhouse gas emissions will be the first of its kind in the United States. Pepsi currently operates about 5 million vending machines globally and if this test run is successful it could begin to upgrade them across the globe.

Alex wrote on TreeHugger about Coke introducing greener vending machines at the Beijing Olympics but still none in the US. The company's eKOfresh coolers combine HFC-free insulation and refrigerants with an energy-saving system that improves energy-efficiency by up to 35 percent over a conventional soda machine. The coolers emit approximately 4,000 fewer metric tons of greenhouse gases, which the company says is like "taking more than 19,000 cars off the road for two weeks." Your guess is as good as mine as to why they are still not in the US.

*Editor's Note: Consider kicking the soda habit altogether in favor of tap water toted in a reusable water bottle. If you're into flavor, local, organic, sustainably grown and manufactured beers and wines are nice too.