Come 2019, the major beer brand Corona will begin to trial 100 per cent plastic-free rings for their six-packs in select markets.
Corona took the hint after smaller beer companies such as Germany’s Carlsberg and Florida’s Saltwater Brewery began to phase out their plastic rings, switching them for other recyclable options.
The company’s actions are part of a larger motive with the Parley for Oceans environmental organization to switch to environmentally friendly packagings to inhibit plastic pollution. According to a press release, Corona’s plastic-free rings will be made from plant-based biodegradable fibres and a mix of by-product waste and compostable materials. If thrown away improperly, the packaging will break down naturally into organic material and will not be harmful to wildlife.
“The beach is an important part of Corona’s DNA and we have been working with Parley to address the issue on the frontlines where plastic is physically accumulating,” Corona Better World Director Evan Ellman said in the press release. “We also recognize the influence a global brand like Corona can have on the industry, and with the support of Parley, are pursuing scalable solutions like plastic-free six-pack rings that can become a new standard to avoid plastic for good.”
For years, environmentalists have warned about the devastating impacts that plastic rings have on marine life, strangling animals and adding to the over 8 million metric tons of plastic waste that enters our oceans each year.
The plant-based rings will be piloted at Corona’s headquarters in Mexico at the beginning of 2019.
“Our oceans are under attack. We are taking their life in rapid speed, destroying the chemistry that allows us to be here,” said Cyrill Gutsch, founder and CEO of Parley for the Oceans in the press release. “Corona is … a powerful ally in our war against marine plastic pollution — and in building the material revolution that will lead us beyond it. We share the goal of phasing plastic out for good, because we simply can’t afford its toxic impact anymore.”
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