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UNIT 4: ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
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Case Study: The LCA of a Vending Machine
An LCA was conducted on a fully automated hot drink dispensing machine for
tea, coffee and chocolate. The LCA findings showed that:
• The energy consumption was highest for the production and transport
of the ingredients and for the use and servicing of the machine;
• 70% of the energy used during the lifetime of the machine was to
maintain it on stand-by;
• The majority of waste and emissions came from the use and servicing
of the machine;
• The material input for the ingredients (tea, coffee, chocolate, hot water,
milk, and sugar) was 10 times greater than the material input in the
manufacture of the dispensing machine.
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These findings were used to implement the following improvements:
• The ingredients in the machines were replaced with more
environmentally-preferable alternatives;
• The ingredient containers were enlarged;
• Daily servicing was reduced to weekly servicing;
• The hot water tank was insulated.
Ingredient and energy use was reduced by over 10%. As servicing costs were
also substantially reduced, the price of the hot drinks dispensed could be
lowered.