2009 Climate Leadership Challenge
Best State Solution: EcoStream

The Project
EcoStream is an environmentally friendly vending machine.  By allowing the customer to bring their own bottle, it removes bottles from vended beverages and minimizes transportation and waste from stocking and shipping pre-made beverages to vending machines around the country.  EcoStream also uses local tap water from the building where it is located and filters it in the machine, eliminating the need for bottlers to draw down a single aquifer to supply a region with bottled beverages.  In addition to the environmental benefits, our machine is the technological evolution of current vending machines.  Via a wireless internet connection, EcoStream allows customers to create and save custom mixes and enables the use of cashless payments, ending up more convenient for our customers.

Team Members
EcoStream was created by Chris Meyer and Mike Deau.  Chris is a second year Master’s of Science student in Mechanical Engineering at the Engine Research Center.  Mike is completing his Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering Spring 2009.  EcoStream is supported by Glenn Bower, a professor in Mechanical Engineering at UW, and partnered with Dave Kruse CEO of the Madison based Flatt Cola.

How the CLC Inspired Us
Winning the Best Solution to Climate Change in the state of Wisconsin is helpful in demonstrating the impact that EcoStream will have on the environment from a well-informed and critical audience of judges.  We are now able to tell potential investors and customers that our product has won an award for its sustainable practices, lending significant credence to our green business marketing strategy.  Beyond the recognition, winning the CLC gives us the much needed capitol to develop the next generation of pre-production machines which will be finished by the end of the 2009 summer. 

Contact Information
Chris Meyer
Mike Deau