Vending Machine and Power Drain
By Karina | August 20, 2008
I know I’ve mentioned before my trip to Japan - I focused on the toilets earlier, but I read something recently on Treehugger that really opened my eyes.
“Especially in Japan, there are over 5.4million vending machines (as of Dec 2007). Half of them are for beverages and it is said that if we eliminated ALL of them we could reduce at least ONE nuclear reactor (out of the total 55)”
Oh No! I loved the vending machines in Japan! I spent lots of money in them, and tried lots of sugary-sweet tasty warm beverages (and a couple that were not so great tasting, mostly cold). In homage to my innocent days of using the wasteful vending machines with abandon, I present to you a short mosaic commemorating some of my best vending machine moments in that short 2-week trip:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Although there are more efficient vending machines out there - including those with innovative heat transfer properties or timers and occupancy sensors. I wonder if these have gotten any traction in Japan?
Image created with big huge labs flickr mosaic maker. Photos are all by Karina her own self.
Any vending machine stories to share?
Topics: Food |
I love your mosaic! Nice work!
Not so much a vending machine story, but you know what always really pisses me off? When I’m in a market and someone has left a door to a refrigerated case open. What, like it’s really hard to slide the door all the way closed? Like they would leave their own home refrigerator door open? (well, maybe they would, who knows…)
And on a similar note, I always wonder about the energy use of those refrigerated cases without doors– the ones where you just reach in and take your food without having to open a door or move those strips of plastic sheeting out of the way. They’re just cranking away 24/7, and spewing their cooled air out into the store and thus having to keep cranking and producing more cooled air to preserve the food. They just seem like an incredibly bad choice to me…. I assume they aim to inspire quick food choices/purchases (”OMG I don’t have to open a door! I’ll totally buy *three* yogurts instead of one!”) but seriously, are we that pathetically lazy of a people?
Thanks!
I think the open refrigerator cases have a lot to do with the appearance of wealth and plenty - what is more luxurious than not worrying about energy? And this appearance is the cornerstone of modern marketing, ESP. With respect to groceries.
I wonder if open refrigerated cases affect the overall temperature of a store–i.e., if they can keep the a/c a little lower because of the cool air overflowing from the cases.
On the vending machine question, I guess it depends. If they were removed, would people get in their cars and drive to a store to buy the same item?
I think vending machine promotes buying products when you don’t even want one, really. It’s like that saying– out of sight, out of mind. Sometimes I don’t crave a soda until I go into a CVS (ie, walk to a CVS) to buy something else. So it might encourage people to get in their cars and get a soda, or it just might encourage people to either buy in bulk and keep things on stock in their office kitchens or home fridges, or it may prevent needless consumption. It would depend on an individual’s normal vending machine habits.
japan how the best selections in their vending machines! not much you can’t find in a vending machine over there!
Best Spam Ever!