Coca-Cola launches "EKOCENTER"

Courtesy of Coca-Cola

This post was written by Alison Woodworth, Projects Coordinator at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law. Any questions or comments about this post can be directed to aew74@law.georgetown.edu.

What happens when the great titans of industry use their evil genius for good? Coca-Cola, with the help of Qualcomm, GE, and others, is planning to answer such a question by the end of 2015.

The cola giant plans to launch 150 kiosks or “EKOCENTERs” in 20 different countries offering internet, water, and electricity over the next 2 years. Features of the already launched pilot kiosk in South Africa include “solar panels for power, a satellite dish for wireless communication and a Slingshot water distiller.”

They are still working out the details but suggestions for use include offering vaccines and health consultations in exchange for the purchase of a bottle of water or small phone-charging fee.

The company is currently pursuing partnerships within the 20 countries with both NGOs and government agencies. Keep updated on their progress here.

Comments are closed.