New Japanese Coca-Cola Vending Machines Come With Green Roofs

Coca-Cola (Japan) Co. has unveiled a new vending machine topped with a mixture of artificial turf and moss to help the machine stay cool.

A sheet of artificial turf with sunagoke, which can tolerate a dry environment and is easy to maintain, is fixed onto the top of the machine. This mechanism works in the same way that a garden rooftop keeps a building cooler during hot spells.

An internal test has shown that the green roof improves the cooling efficiency of the machine, with the cooling device that refrigerates beverages inside using less electricity than a conventional machine. The new machine's higher cost can be recovered in five years in the form of lower electricity bills, says the company.

Two machines have been installed in Tokyo's Jiyugaoka area. A portion of proceeds will be donated to a local environmental foundation.