Saltwater Brewery came up with a way to provide marine animals with food instead of killing them: meet the biodegradable packing design of the edible beer rings.
According to co-founder Chris Gove of the Florida-based microbrewery, the rings are made from wheat and barley waste, some of the natural byproducts of making beer.
Gove believes the company’s pragmatic solution is the answer to repurposing waste in the brewing process. At the same time, the edible rings could contribute to the fight against ocean plastic pollution.
A couple of hours of being in the ocean and the packaging starts to disintegrate; in turn, this prevents fish or other sea animals getting caught up in the rings. However, it takes two to three months for the wheat and barley products to completely disappear in the ocean.
That’s also the time it takes for the rings to compost if left on the beach – although in that scenario, soil, humidity, composition, and temperature also play a role.
Alternatives to traditional plastic rings do exist; PakTech’s recycled plastic can carrier is 100% recyclable, as well as Fishbone’s cardboard holder. However, these don’t decrease the risk of wildlife getting stuck in them or ingesting them.
The Saltwater Brewery edible alternative is the result of a collaboration with the advertising agency We Believers. “Our main challenge was figuring out what material would be sustainable and sturdy enough to hold a six-pack of beer,” explained Marco Vega, co-founder of We Believers.
The company produced the first batch of 500 edible six pack rings with the help of 3D-printed plastic molds. But because plastic molds are not suitable for mass manufacturing, Saltwater is looking into creating metal molds capable of producing out 400,000 ring units each month.
“We estimate the initial mass-produced batch will cost around 25 cents per unit – about 10 cents more than the recyclable plastic six-pack rings Saltwater is [currently] using,” says Vega.
Even though he thinks consumers would be willing to pay more for the eco alternative, he expects costs to quickly drop. This will be the case especially if more craft brewers and major beer companies decide to implement this technology into their own products.
Image Source: Thrillist