Recyclers of aluminium drinks cans and clean foil have caused a massive quarter of a million trees to be grown in the UK and Africa since 2004, thanks to a programme run by not for profit organisation, Alupro. A tree is grown for every tonne of aluminium recycled, with the recycling rate now 57% higher than when the programme started (35,900 tonnes in 2004 to 54,656 tonnes recycled in the 12 months to end June 2009).  

MEI has released a new version of its vending management software. MEI Easitrax ® 3.10 gives operators better access to the forecasting information they need to plan and service routes more efficiently.

After an extensive search the Automatic Vending Association (AVA) is delighted to announce the appointment of Jonathan Hilder as its new Chief Executive Officer. Jonathan will take up the role on 1 December 2009 and replaces Janette Gledhill, who left the AVA at the end of June after 16 years service.

In January 2009, in response to restrictions imposed on vending in hospitals in Wales, the AVA brought together the Vending Choice Coalition (VCC); a group comprising of a number of key Food and Beverage trade associations and major Brand owners.

The latest market penetration figures and figures for recognition of the FAIRTRADE Mark were released at the Fairtrade Foundation's annual Commercial Conference in September.

The research shows continued consumer confidence and business support for Fairtrade in the UK and confirms that the public is remaining loyal to Fairtrade during the economic slowdown.

AMS is delighted to announce the release of CyberKey Blue, the latest addition to the powerful CyberKey range that now includes CyberKey Plus, CyberKey Rechargeable and CyberKey Rechargeable XD.

The European Vending Association is pleased to welcome its latest new member: Vendin, a leading Spanish company specialised in the production of instant products supplying high quality ingredients for hot beverage vending machines. The EVA is pleased to have such an innovative new member aboard.

The latest must have fashion comes from a charity called Bottletop which has trained 33 people from their community project in Salvador, Brazil to make handbags using discarded ringpulls. The ringpulls are collected by the homeless who can earn £3 per kilogram - it takes 1,000 ringpulls and a day's work to make a bag.

The EVA's Annual General Assembly and the Workshop on the "Image of Vending", will take place in Brussels on 2 and 3 December 2009. Please note that the deadline to register for this event is the 15th of November.

The EVA / Datamonitor studies have been published recently and were very well received by the industry. EVA are confident that they will be of interest to all of you! The studies are a 290-page report, with dozens of insights and trends on the market and on the consumers behaviour and are the first of their kind to provide an integrated and comprehensive understanding of the vending industry on a European and country by country basis.

Cadbury plc has confirmed it notes the announcement on 30 September by the Takeover Panel Executive that it has imposed a deadline of 5.00pm on 9 November 2009, by which time Kraft Foods Inc must, unless the Takeover Panel Executive consents otherwise, either announce a firm intention to make an offer for Cadbury under Rule 2.5 of the UK Takeover Code, or announce that it does not intend to make an offer for Cadbury.

Lavazza, Italy's favourite coffee, has launched its 18th iconic photographic calendar and pan European advertising campaign.

Photographed by the influential British photographer Miles Aldridge, the 2010 Lavazza calendar illustrates ‘The Italian Espresso Experience' through Italian music. The 2010 Calendar, featuring six of the world's most famous models, takes inspiration from six well known Italian songs, such as Nessun Dorma. The songs have then been brought to life through Aldridge's retro inspired images.

The global food industry is targeting the GCC market as an opportunity for future growth, as GCC spending on food imports is set to more than double from US$ 24 billion in 2008 to US$ 49bn by 2020 according to a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

Silke Ruschke, Huhtamaki Marketing Manager for Central Europe, has been appointed as the first Chairperson of the EVA‘s Cup Committee.

The European Vending Association set up the Cup Committee a year ago for the purpose of promoting disposable cup use in vending machines. After initial meetings, Silke Ruschke was unanimously elected as Chairperson by all Cup Committee members.

Working in conjunction with distributor Seymour Valentine, Lavazza has been bringing Italy's favourite coffee to the UK offices of a leading American financial services firm.

With the current economic climate encouraging higher coffee consumption in the workplace as employees cut back on visits to local cáfes, it is important to have a system in place that really delivers in terms of quality and investment.

Vending International apologises to Aimia Foods for an inaccuracy contained in last month's editorial feature "A Drink that Tastes as Good as it Looks" (page 16) which included the incorrect statement: "Pour Moi has said its premium Douwe Egberts offer is popular with public sites..."

The 11th Sandwich & Snack Show is the window on trends in the snack industry. The show's line-up will be boosted by new tools and special events focusing on innovation and market analysis.

October 2009 once again saw California Raisins exhibiting at ANUGA, the world's largest food show.

Peter Meadows and Iain Forbes dealt with a number of trade enquiries during the 6 day event and conducted some useful discussions with various traders from all 4 corners of the globe.

The launch of Minima Office at Total Workplace 2009 exceeded even the most optimistic expectations of British company Minima.

Minima Office offers business a compact, low-cost solution to the problems associated with recycling plastic drinks bottles and metal cans. Elegant and discrete, the new machine allows consumers to crush drinks cans and bottles, thereby reducing the space required to store re-cyclables prior to their removal from the premises. It cuts down the number of journeys too, handing environmentally conscious employers a double-whammy of energy and cost-saving benefits.

Despite the global financial crisis and the H1N1 influenza virus outbreak, the 6th China International Vending & Kiosk Show 2009 continued to receive strong support from  international communities. There were 7718 attendees, which include 1181 international attendees, accounting for 15%. They came from 35 countries and regions: 56% from Asia, 15% from North America, 13% from Europe, 6% from South America, 6% from Australia and New Zealand, and 4% from Africa.

The Paper Cup Company are pleased to announce the opening of a new distribution centre, allowing for a quicker and more personalised service, particularly for customers in the North of England and Scotland. Their existing customers throughout the UK will immediately see the benefits that this facility will offer.

Britvic has announced that Tango is once again the fastest growing fruit carbonate drink in the category following a series of successful marketing campaigns.

Cadbury Dairy Milk has created its first ever single, inspired by Ghanaian music and celebrating Cadbury Dairy Milk becoming Fairtrade certified. Ghana is the heart of Cadbury Dairy Milk's Fairtrade cocoa, so Cadbury decided to film the latest Glass and a Half Full Production there and work with Ghanaian musicians to create a magical follow up to ‘Gorilla', ‘Trucks' and ‘Eyebrows'. 

Bettavend automatic vending machines for hot beverages and cold drinks have been changed over to using 3M ScaleGard Pro water filtration systems from Pelican Technical Solutions for their advantage of protecting equipment from the detrimental effects of scale build-up and minimising corrosion at the same time as removing excess chlorine and other unpleasant tastes and odours from drinks.

United Biscuits (UBUK), a leading manufacturer of snacks, biscuits and cakes, has launched a range of savoury snacks 35p Price Marked Packs, available now, to help retailers and their customers beat the economic downturn. The new selection of Price Marked Packs includes the biggest selling flavours of Hula Hoops (Original, Salt & Vinegar, Cheese & Onion and BBQ) Skips, and Wheat Crunchies (Spicy Tomato and Crispy Bacon) and will help retailers to increase sales and provide greater value to their customers.

Discover the taste of a new classic!

• NEW Caprimo flavour cappuccino Irish Cappuccino
• Same dosage, great machine functionality and balanced taste consumer love as Caprimo Café Vanille, Café Noisette, Café Caramel and original Cappuccino
• Caprimo Irish Cappuccino was voted flavour with the most potential in vending by operator visiting Vending Paris 2008

Caprimo's trendy Irish Cappuccino flavour is destined to become a "new classic" in the vending market.

Following the success of its pilot project on vending in schools, in 2005 the Department of Health Regional Public Health Team carried out a snap shot survey of the vending situation in leisure and sport centres in the East of England, the results of which highlighted a number of contradictions. In his analysis of the survey's findings, Jason Gwinnett of the Regional Public Health Group rightly said that a conflicting message was being sent to the users of such facilities: "Leisure and sport centres in all sectors must strike a balance between profits and the health of their users.

Vended water in the form of water coolers or bottled water from machines can seem like an unnecessary expense, given that it is free from the tap. In the last decade however, there has been a shift in consumer preference. Gone is the laissez-faire approach to health. Beverage consumption has not escaped the revealing glare that increased awareness of obesity and other dietary related diseases has cast. An over reliance upon the quick fix of sugar and salt laden snacks and drinks has given way to the new consumer consensus that health and well-being is vital.

Wenlock Spring have recently scooped 3 BBI awards at the recent British Bottlers Institute Awards for the excellent taste and presentation of its still and sparkling waters.

In the ‘Taste' category Wenlock Spring won a Diploma and Gold Award for the excellent taste of its still and sparkling waters and in the ‘Packaging' category Wenlock Spring won another Gold award for the bottle dress of their glass bottles and the innovative label design, produced after many months of planning and customer research. The awards will be presented on 23rd November at Vintners hall in London at the BBI Gala Awards Dinner. 

Just days after raising a staggering £1 million for charity, Harrogate-based Thirsty Planet bottled water has been highly commended by judges in a prestigious national awards ceremony which was held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.

A brand new range of seven freeze-dried coffees, as well freshbrew and espresso beans, Café Nueva is the complete coffee solution the industry has been crying out for explains Martin Armitt, marketing controller.

"We're extremely excited about this launch. Finally the vending industry will have a high quality, contemporary styled coffee range which meets their varied needs under one brand.

The European Vending Association (EVA) has set up the Cup Committee for the purpose of promoting disposable cup use in vending machines. End users, it says, tend to think that disposable cups have a worse impact on the environment than ceramic or porcelain mugs. The Committee plans to commission a life cycle assessment (LCA) in order to prove to the contrary - great news for the Industry and for the large number of businesses now embracing the idea of using the humble cup to convey an image.

Since its humble beginnings at Rockingham Raceway in 2004, Vendex®, formerly known as Nivex, has become established as a firm favourite of the vending industry. Its format, which focuses on providing an inexpensive platform from which exhibitors can promote their goods and services, together with a strong emphasis on networking, has proven to be very successful and has definitely ‘hit a spot' in the vending industry, filling a niche for just such an event.

New on the vending scene is the Fed Well hot food system. Originally trialled earlier in the year at AVEX, it is an innovative joint venture between Pro-Pak Foods, one of the largest manufacturers of ready meals in the UK and Spanish vending machine giant, Jofemar. Together, they will be offering operators the opportunity to see for themselves the versatility of the new system and test out the quality of food on offer at Vendex [Stand F12].

Crem International UK Ltd will be showcasing several new products at Vendex as well as introducing the Tea2Fly and Cafe2Fly concepts.

With their new range of Instant machines, the Cafelino Duo and Trio, the Café Elite and the Empire, you can quickly and easily serve good tasting coffee or a cup of hot chocolate. Instant is the name of a whole series of machines that offer a wide variety of drinks. All Crem machines are very easy to care for, which minimises handling and are suitable for places where you would not expect to be served a cup of coffee.

rheavendors servomat UK will be demonstrating the recently launched Cino XS Grande which is already proving to be very successful.

The Grande offers both instant (SM) and espresso bean to cup (PB) versions and is, in many ways, a larger version of the existing XS range.

Abbeychart will be showing some of their extensive range of vending spare parts and consumables, also featuring their easy to use E-Shop for fast ordering and delivery.

Water filtration from BRITA, 3M and Abbeychart's own new ABC value range will be on display.

KioskCom Self Service Expo & Digital Signage Show Europe was another success this year when it took place in Olympia at the end of September. Although the show was smaller than the previous year due to recession cut backs in supplier budgets, the show still delivered a fantastic number of buyers across the two days.