Vending machines give free stuff after natural disasters in Japan

Vending machines are becoming one of the biggest aids to those affected by natural disasters in Japan, such as floods and earthquakes, according to the latest news reports. The Japanese news agency, Kyodo news, stated how vending machines in troubled areas were used to distribute free goods, including drinks, to those affected by natural disasters.

All of the vending machines that offer assistance to people in natural disasters sport signs on the front explaining how people can get free drinks from them when there is an emergency. The idea is that the machines are able to provide people with vital liquids when their areas have been cut off from water, and help can’t get to them quickly.

Fuji Keizai is a marketing and consultation firm in Japan. They said that demand for vending machines increased by as much as 35% in the last 2 years, and expected to increase further over the next few years to be as high as 7 billion yen by 2013.

Each vending machine comes equipped with a battery back-up so that should there be a power cut they are still able to dispense vital liquids without needing to be plugged in. There are 35 of these vending machines in all of the subway stations in the Japanese city of Kyoto.

Apple stop giving plastic bags

Apple Inc. have announced that they will no longer be giving out plastic carrier bags to customers at their retail stores. The decision was made during the current times where environmental concerns are at their highest for a long time and more people are becoming aware of the impact plastic bags can have on the environment.

Many stores have now stopped offering plastic bags as standard now and only give out promotional bags during sales or big events for the business.

In response to Apple’s announcement, Progressive Bag Affiliates of the American Chemistry Council (PBA) has welcomed Apple’s decision stating:

“In addition to promoting recycling, many of our efforts are focused on helping retailers to avoid the use of excess or unnecessary bags. In the case of Apple stores, where many customers purchase computers and often make other single-item purchases such as iPods, we applaud Apple for taking steps to discourage shoppers from accepting bags that may not be necessary.”

With the exception of promotional bags, no bags will now be given out without a request at most Apple stores in future.

However, the PBA stressed the need for consumer choice and iterated the fact that plastic bags are actually more energy efficient to create and recycle than paper counterparts.