One of the world's most popular beer brands is trialling plastic-free six-pack rings and has sponsored a series of massive cleanups to help protect the world’s oceans and beaches from marine plastic pollution.
Corona, which is made in Mexico and is owned by beverage giant AB InBev, is trialling the new six-pack rings in Mexico at the beginning of 2019 with plans to then test them in the UK market.
Corona has also sponsored a series of massive clean-ups in over 15 countries with a total collection of over three million pounds of plastic waste after a commitment with Parley for the Oceans. Corona says it shares Parley's mission to help protect the world’s oceans and beaches from marine plastic pollution.
Taking this a step further, Corona adopted Parley's A.I.R. Strategy to “not only 'avoid' and 'intercept' plastic as much as possible, but also help 'redesign' solutions that use the material.
Although Corona is primarily packaged in glass and fibreboard, the brand is redesigning a common source of plastic in the category: six pack rings for metal cans.
The plastic-free rings are made from plant-based biodegradable fibers, with a mix of by-product waste and compostable materials.
If left in the environment, it's claimed, the eco-friendly rings break down into organic material, unlike the industry-standard plastic six-pack rings made from a photodegradable form of polyethylene that results in increasingly smaller pieces of plastic if not recycled.
“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 says.
“We also recognise 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.”
The eco-friendly packs will begin to appear in the brand’s homeland of Mexico where the plastic-free rings will be piloted in Tulum at the beginning of the year.
