Vending Machines and Ethical Drinks - written by Fenton Wayne

Selecting the right vending machine for your workplace is no easy matter. Not only do you need to consider the correct type and specifications of the machine to meet your needs, but also to think about the environmental and ethical issues too.

Users of vending machine tend to be a little more sophisticated nowadays, and will take an interest in the source and origin of the ingredients used to make the drinks. Some users will also want to know if the machine is recyclable and energy efficient - things that were, perhaps unheard of 10 years ago.

There is now a good choice of different ethically sourced vending ingredients, together with machines that proudly communicate the ethical message.

Associations such as The Fairtrade Association, The Rainforest Alliance, The Cocoa Partnership, UTZ Certified and many others all certify, promote and encourage the use and consumption of ethical sourced ingredients.

Each of these organisations have their own website that can easily be found by a simple internet search. Generally speaking, they all try to reward the local farmers, producers and workers at the source of the product, helping to improve the standard of their lives and ensure they enjoy the basic necessities we all take for granted. Food, water, healthcare and education for their families are usually priorities. This is usually achieved by regular inspections and making sure the farmer receives a fair and stable price for his goods.

The producers and their families are now paid a fair price for their coffee, tea and cocoa harvests, the main ingredients in any good vending machine.

In addition these organisations encourage sustainability and care of the environment, so that the land as well as the farmers is not exploited. Each organisation has its own particular angle on this, but generally all do a worthwhile job and ensure that fertiliser use is kept to a minimum, water is used responsibly and environmental impact is kept to a minimum.

Manufacturers' of vending machines are now very aware of their responsibilities to produce energy efficient machines. Many producers for example, use diodes instead of electric bulbs on their machine facia, and boilers that only heat up small quantities of water at a time rather than the whole tank.

These and other improvements usually mean that if you install a new vending machine from a reputable supplier, then you are likely to have a machine with these improvements - but it always best to check with them to be sure .

When making your choice of which vending machine to go for, or which vending machine to use try to remember these important issues. Then you can enjoy delicious hot beverages with the peace of mind that they were produced in a responsible way.