Plastic six-pack rings are dangerous to most ocean life. We need to protect our sea living friends. animals. We can do this one of two ways — stop buying as much beer (yeah right) or cut up the plastic ring tops before tossing in the trash (which only helps slightly).
People are too selfish to do either so one brewery is changing the way six-pack rings are manufactured.
Saltwater Brewery in Delray Beach, Fla., recently released edible six-pack rings, a brand-new approach to sustainable beer packaging. These six-pack rings are 100 percent biodegradable and edible—constructed of barley and wheat ribbons from the brewing process, this packaging can actually be safely eaten by animals that may come into contact with the refuse.
Besides being biodegradable and edible, this innovative technology is still as resistant and efficient as the plastic packaging it replaces. It is, understandably, more expensive to produce, but many customers are willing to pay the difference knowing that it’s better for the environment and animal life. However, if more breweries would implement this technology, the production cost would lower and be competitive with the current plastic options, saving hundreds of thousands of marine lives.
No word on whether humans can eat the rings but I’ll try anything after a couple beers.
[via Craft Beer]