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Pop dispensers

post #1 of 7
6/1/08 at 8:06pm
Thread Starter 

 

I was reading some old emails I wrote, and I came across an idea I had in 2004.

 

You know how a lot of grocery stores have water dispensers, where you can refill your plastic gallon jugs?  Why don't they do that with pop dispensers?  I know a long time ago, they used to refill glass Coke bottles.   I assume this was done by collecting empty bottles, taking them to a centralized site, disinfecting, and refilling.

 

But what if you just brought your own container in, and filled up from a tap at the store?  You could be in charge of cleaning the bottle yourself, just like the plastic water jugs.

 

I would this would increase Coke and Pepsi's profits, as surely packaging is their greatest expense. 

 

If there is some major fault with this idea- would it be more environmentally friendly to return to the old glass Coke bottle system, rather than everyone buying single uses cans and bottles that need to be recycled?

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post #2 of 7
6/1/08 at 8:57pm

That's an interesting idea.  The only problems I could see are:

  1. People consume a lot of soda, so the machines would need large amounts of syrup.  I'm not sure how they add carbonation in fountain drinks, but they'd also have to apply that principle.
  2. A lot of people like the convenience of the individual cans.

 

I think the main issue is that people are kind of lazy.  They want to be able to grab a can/bottle, drink it, and toss it (hopefully at least in the recycling!).

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post #3 of 7
6/2/08 at 9:53am

 I can anticipate one other hurdle (although, in theory, i love the idea!): buying individual cans preserves the carbonation level in each can, so you can drink the soda gradually (can-by-can) as opposed to feeling rushed to finish a large bottle before it goes flat.  I guess refilling individual glass bottles might be the better of the two solutions you proposed.  :)

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post #4 of 7
6/2/08 at 10:25am
Thread Starter 

 

I imagine the dispensers would work like the ones you get at restaurants, where you fill your own glass.  So the carbonation shouldn't be a problem.  And I am sure you could find a place to store the syrup.

 

The cans are probably the bigger obstacle.  People do buy the 2L plastic bottles, but not at the same rate they buy cans.  But given a refill option, would people trying to be environmentally friendly choose to forgo the can’s convenience?

 

I think that the same people who use the water dispensers might use pop dispensers.  Even if only a small percentage of people use them, that still can make a big dent.  In 2002, Americans drank 189 billion beverages from plastic or glass bottles and aluminum cans. That comes to over 650 containers/person/year.  Less than half of these bottles and cans were recycled.

 

But if we are going to stick with cans- maybe we need a nationwide deposit system?  Michigan has a 95 percent recycling rate!

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post #5 of 7
6/5/08 at 1:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by nitedreamer:

 

 I know a long time ago, they used to refill glass Coke bottles.   I assume this was done by collecting empty bottles, taking them to a centralized site, disinfecting, and refilling.

 


OMG.  I think I just sprouted grey hair all over.  They did that when I was in high school - and college.  You could still buy glass bottles and return them for deposit.

 

Oy vey.

 

I wonder about why they don't do the bottles, too.

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post #6 of 7
6/11/08 at 9:45pm

I wish they would just get rid of the coke machines at work. Or at least replace them with something that distributes a more healthy alternative.

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post #7 of 7
6/19/08 at 7:23am

They dont do glass bottle refunds in most states because the tax burden was on the stores to collect and return them (and give the refund to whoever brought the bottle in - even if the bottle didnt come from their store) to their respective companies.  The soda manufacturers pretty much got a free service out of the deal.

.

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