I don't know why it took so long for this to happen, but I'm glad it finally did. A Philadelphia company that bottles for Coca-Cola is adopting the use of recyclable, biodegradable fiber packaging to replace the ubiquitous plastic six pack ring. The new packaging has been used mostly in Europe, but more soda manufacturers are partnering with their bottlers to use the more environmentally-friendly holders.
For years, I have been cutting up the plastic rings before throwing them in the trash. I have seen first hand too many occurrences where these have ended up in the beaks and feet of sea and shore birds. It's a crappy sight to see and I welcome this change, to say nothing of how it will help the unimaginable amount of plastic waste that ends up in the world's oceans every year.
Coca-Cola bottler makes major change to aluminum can packaging: ‘First of its kind’
By Dillon Thompson • November 29, 2022 | TheCoolDown.com
A Philadelphia-based bottling company is ditching the so-called “six-pack” plastic rings featured in most packs of soda cans.
Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages, a local plant which bottles Coca-Cola products ranging from Diet Coke and Sprite to Powerade and Monster Energy, will replace its plastic rings with a fiber-based paper packaging, NBC Philadelphia reports.
The dangers of plastic rings have long been a topic of concern among conservationists and marine biologists.
When these rings find their way into the ocean, they can endanger birds, mammals, turtles, and other marine life, due to their ability to get stuck around animals’ noses, mouths, and bodies. It’s estimated that plastic products kill around 100,000 marine animals a year.
These rings also add to the growing threat of ocean trash. A 2021 study found that around 8 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean each year, an issue made worse by the fact that plastic can often take hundreds of years to biodegrade.
Liberty estimates that its new policy will help eliminate 75,000 pounds of plastic each year. The paper-based packaging, designed by Graphic Packaging International, is small, compact, and easy to recycle.
The sleek design was already used in six-packs across Europe, but Liberty says the innovation is the “first of its kind” in the United States.
“Liberty is thrilled to be the first bottler in the United States to implement this innovative packaging system,” said Paul Mulligan, co-owner of Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages.
The packaging will soon be seen on soda cans throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, as those are the states where Liberty sends its products. The company joins other beverage brands — like Coors Light, Corona, and PepsiCo — in the mission to reduce plastic waste.
2 comments:
This seems a classic instance of technology solving a problem it caused and that's a good thing. But I can hear the bellowing now from the peanut gallery that this change is a needless kowtow to the environmental loonies, and life was better before all this folderol. I can remember when pull tabs became safer and more convenient. When lightbulbs were hot as hell to the touch. When seatbelts were a Commie plot. Bike helmets are stupid. (They are not stupid they just make you look that way.) On and on and on.
We are being dragged into a technological abyss whether we like it or not. I remember when the so-called "paperless office" was a big thing. The best thing they could do for that is supply more paper shredders. Ha!
Post a Comment