Think Green with Eco-friendly Vending Machines
Apart from the updates of the war between the two northern countries, global warming is one of the biggest issues these days. Extreme conditions and rising temperatures are two evident proofs that the Earth’s climate is changing. The media has raised awareness of this urgent matter by running a protest that we must take action to reduce the effect of the greenhouse effect. In September 2019, during the Global Week for Future, people around the world did strikes for climate change, hoping these would send across the message to everyone on Earth. Scientists also have warned that this issue will affect the habitat that we currently live in, and there will be further consequences to these if we don’t take actions immediately. The Earth herself has lost several lands due to the rising temperature. Higher temperature makes the icecaps melt and thus adding to the volume of the ocean. Imagine if this keeps going on for years and years, we probably will have little to no lands to be inherited in the future.
Considering these complicated issues, people have started to slow down global warming by doing better. Incorporating greener steps in their daily lives like limiting plastic uses, taking public transports to cut down gas emissions, and deleting emails to minimise carbon footprints. There are many ways to start living with eco-friendly options, and we can always start with smaller steps. And who knows we can start thinking green with vending machines?
Solar-powered vending machine
The Sun is our Earth’s biggest star, the centre of our solar system that provides us with lots of resources from its heat and light that convert into energy. These energies help many sectors of our life, from generating powers for electricities, helping plants to do photosynthesis, to having the main hydrological role in changing tides and ocean currents cycle. The popular use is installing solar panels as an energy resource. Adopting this method, Coca-Cola launched thousands of green-roofed vending machines. Green-roofed meaning the solar panel is installed to power the electricity of the vending machine, so it does not need to plug into any electric sources. The solar panel can also save the energy from the Sun so it will stay on at nights. Another extra step like changing to LED lights is also taken. The better news is that Coca-Cola is sharing the profits from these vending machines as a donation to the local environmental conservation organisations.
Not only Coca-Cola, a Spanish-based firm also adopted these solar-powered ticketing vending machines in locations with higher sun exposures. But when the weather is bad, instead of solar power, the machine uses wind power, because it has an LED screen that needs to be charged with electricity.
Vending machine for pets
Oftentimes we go to parks to go for a walk or to walk our furry friends. There we sometimes see other pets happily running around. But sadly, in cities where strays are not being taken care of, parks are where these cats and dogs. One of these cities is Istanbul, Turkey, where thousands of stray dogs can be found in the city. Dogs are not a popular option as pets in the east, so there are problems with the population of dogs in the city. But these strays are not just strays, as the dogs have their ears tipped. Several organisations working in Istanbul, the majority of stray dogs (and most of them are around Galata area) have been caught, neutered and released (hence the ear tipping). When COVID-19 pandemic started, the government took action for these strays because obviously people cannot just go out and feed these strays. The movement went viral and increased people's awareness to keep feeding and caring for these animals. But not all people bring pet food in their bags, right?
Turkish company Pugedon, which is based on a social responsibility project found in 2014, created a pet food vending machine to help feed these stray animals while encouraging people to recycle plastic bottles. The dispenser is called “mamamatiks” which translates into “vending machine for pets”. When a bottle is recycled into the machine into the deposit box, it releases pet food into the designated bowl underneath. With a special slot for animals to enjoy the food, it can also be useful when pet owners want to fill a water bowl for their pets. So it can be imagined this way: you take your dog for a walk and want to give a bowl of water from your bottled water. You empty the bottle into the bowl, toss the plastic bottle into the recycling deposit, then it releases food for stray animals. Killing two birds with one stone, except there is no animal harmed during the process. The similar recycling machine can also be called a reverse vending machine. Previously, Smartven has partnered with Gojek and Plasticpay to make this reverse vending machine, but instead of releasing pet food, we recycle bottles in exchange of Gopay balance.
Green vending machine
Micro gardening has been a popular hobby for people who live in small spaces. It sometimes needs better tendering with tools to keep the plants fresh and a few need the sun to keep growing. But even with these factors, many have started this hobby into a growing farm. Dentsu Facility Management Inc. has developed a fresh idea named Chef’s Farm, so that these small vegetable plants can be installed indoors. The machine is located in Japan, where the areas to plant vegetables are limited, so it can also help farmers to keep harvesting their produce without worry. The Chef’s Farm is able to harvest 60 heads of lettuce each day by using 12 Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL). While it still requires a lot of energy, CFLs are a better option to minimise the electricity needed to replicate the sunlight. Later on it can be an idea to upgrade this idea into an efficient one with solar panels so it can be a greener option to tend indoor gardens.
Further steps
Using an eco-friendly vending machine can inspire us to make the environment better and also to slow down climate change. Furthermore, running a green business can make a good impression for the brand and can be used as a tool for marketing campaigns. Should you have an eco-friendly brand that can use vending machines, you can start by booking a consultation with Smartven by clicking the button below. You can also check our website and Instagram page for further information on Smartven. Save the Earth today to save tomorrow, stay healthy and see you soon!
Translation written by: Nadhiya Pradhanitasari
