Coca-Cola installs millionth HFC-free cooler

The Coca-Cola Company has installed its millionth hydrofluorocarbon (HFC)-free cooler using natural refrigerant in the marketplace. The milestone marks significant progress in the company’s effort to phase out the use of HFC refrigerant - a contributor to climate change - in Coca-Cola dispensers, vending machines and coolers.

So far the company’s efforts have prevented the emission of 5.25 million tonnes of CO₂ over 10 years, as well as improving its cooling equipment energy efficiency by 40% since 2000 and eliminating 75% of direct greenhouse gas emissions by transitioning to HFC-free insulation foam for new equipment. The Coca-Cola Company Vice President, Environment & Water Jeff Seabright said this is the result of a $100 million investment.

“Through investment in research, development and commercialisation efforts, we’ve advanced the use of more energy-efficient, HFC-free cooling technologies and energy management systems. We’ve made sustainable refrigeration the cornerstone of our climate protection and energy management efforts.”

As part of its commitment to pursue more sustainable refrigeration, Coca-Cola selected CO₂, a natural refrigerant that eliminates 99% of direct emissions, as its HFC-free, refrigerant choice for new equipment. The company’s investment in more sustainable refrigeration has made CO₂ technology a commercially viable option for the cold drink and food equipment industry.

The company also remains an active participant in Refrigerants, Naturally!, a food and beverage industry alliance. Co-founded by The Coca-Cola Company in 2004 with support from United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), this group addresses global climate change through promotion of HFC-free alternative refrigeration technologies.

“Our climate milestones are the result of collaboration between our company, our bottling partners, our suppliers and our customers,” said Seabright. “The sustainability of our planet depends on more than us; it requires collective action, which is why we work with governments, organisations and other companies to advance solutions for climate protection. Only together can we successfully attempt to tackle challenges of this magnitude.”

This work complements the most recent goal set by the company to reduce the carbon footprint of ‘the drink in your hand’ by 25% by 2020. This goal includes working to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions across the entire value chain of Coca-Cola’s products by making comprehensive reductions in manufacturing processes, packaging formats, delivery fleet, refrigeration equipment and ingredient sourcing.

In 2009, Coca-Cola established a goal that all 100% of its cold-drink equipment will be HFC-free by 2015, thus preventing the emission of more than 50 million tonnes of CO₂ over 10 years. The company also played an active role in setting the Consumer Goods Forum goal to begin phasing-out HFC refrigerants in cooling equipment across its 400-member companies starting in 2015.

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