How to make vending machines sustainable

How to make vending machines sustainable is a matter that interests many users.

In fact, in Italy alone, there are more than 826,000 vending machines installed in public or private places (Confida 2019 data), followed by France (611,000 vending machines) and Germany (593,000).

Also in our country in 2019 these machines produced almost 4.9 billion disbursements (between 2020 and 2021 the data are decreasing, due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic).

In times of particular attention to environmental issues, the vending machine sector must deal with ecology and aim to become more sustainable, also driven by the increasingly widespread environmental awareness of the people.

In order to make vending machines sustainable, it is necessary to operate on two levels:

• type of products offered and their packaging;
• consumption (energy and water).

More and more vending machines offer 0 km, organic products, etc., using compostable or recyclable packaging, cups and stirrers.

Innovation helps to reduce and keep electricity consumption under control, in particular regarding the refrigeration of products. There are various solutions that the vending machine market offers in this sense, and the newest ones can significantly reduce energy costs. Then, the use of less harmful refrigerants for the environment is a further step towards sustainability.

Reducing water consumption is more difficult, particularly in the case of vending machines for drinks. That’s why sustainability also involves an accurate control of flows and a timely detection of any losses.

This makes it possible not to waste a precious and increasingly limited resource such as water, and also to prevent an increase in water costs for the context in which the vending machine is installed.

ELTEK is the ideal partner for those looking for solutions to make vending machines sustainable through systemic control of equipment and monitoring of water flow.

Systemic control assumes that the vending machines are:

• correctly installed and regularly maintained, according to the manufacturer’s instructions;
• preserved from possible damages;
• monitored, to avoid waste and water leaks.

The WATERBLOCK and E-WATERBLOCK devices are designed by ELTEK Appliance precisely to detect water anomalies and, if necessary, to block the flow as quickly and efficiently as possible. In this way they can avoid excessive consumption and indirectly prevent possible damage from water.

In this way it is possible to preserve the energy efficiency of the equipment.

The WATERBLOCK device performs a leak monitoring activity, controlling the passage of a nominal volume of water between 5 and 50 liters. The amount of water in transit is previously set on the device, which is easily installed between the water tap and the dispenser supply pipe.

If the preset value is exceeded, WATERBLOCK immediately stops the flow of water.

The E-WATERBLOCK safety device works in a similar way, with two important differences:

• detected nominal water volume is between 2 and 200 liters, in “always on” mode;
• device is combined with a dedicated APP, which supports monitoring.

The APP allows you to connect directly to the device, configure and monitor its status, and access data relating to water consumption in the previous 12 months.

The ability to access information via APP (which works when Bluetooth is activated near the device), makes E-WATERBLOCK ideal for installation in public or private places that can remain empty for shorter or longer periods of time ( for example on weekends).

The WATERBLOCK and E-WATERBLOCK safety devices also take care of blocking the flow of water in case of anomalies. They measure the amount of water in transit, according to the interval that has been previously set directly on the device itself.

The nominal volume of water in transit is between

• 5 and 50 liters for WATERBLOCK;
• 2 and 200 liters for E-WATERBLOCK.

If the set value is exceeded, the safety device immediately blocks the flow of water mechanically.

This simple operation allows to minimize losses and consequent costs. Indirectly, by blocking the flow, WATERBLOCK can contribute to the prevention of water damage to the rooms where the vending machine is located.

To restore the water flow, just perform a new manual setting. This procedure is simplified by the special reset accessory, a mechanical device that does not require you to unscrew the inlet pipe. In fact, it is sufficient to operate a lever to restore normal functioning of the WATERBLOCK.

Sources:

Industry data