Coors Light To Phase Out Plastic Beer Rings

Plastic six-pack rings are a nightmare. They trash oceans, ensnare sea life, clog landfill sites and will outlast all of us… And now Coors light is stepping up to help lessen this problem.

Here’s the deal…

In 2017, Mexican startup E6PR (Eco Six Pack Ring) introduced ec0-friendly biodegradable and compostable beer packaging that safely breaks down outside or in the water.

In 2018, Carlsberg announced that it would be replacing traditional plastic 6-pack rings, with tiny dots of glue binding the cans together that won’t trash the world’s oceans or entangle its sea life.

In 2019, Guinness, which is owned by Diageo, announced that it was replacing the plastic rings with cardboard packs which are sustainably sourced, recyclable and fully biodegradable.

In 2020 Corona introduced fit packs, an award-winning interlocking beer can alternative to plastic 6-pack rings.

And now, as part of an $85 million investment from Molson Coors to upgrade brewery machinery, the company has committed to transitioning its entire portfolio of brands in the Americas away from six-pack plastic rings by 2025.

“Our business, and Coors in particular, has a long history of using packaging innovation to protect our environment, and today we are building on that rich legacy,” said Molson Coors CEO Gavin Hattersley. “Just as Coors led the way by pioneering the recyclable aluminum can, Coors Light will lead the way by moving out of single-use plastic rings in North America.”

To mark its transition away from plastic, Coors Light is opening a pop-up store in New York City this week.

The Plastic-Free Future Mart by Coors Light – a sustainable pop-up concept store – envisions a future without plastic. Adults age 21 and up can stop by to see how the Coors Light products can be packaged without plastic.

Coors Light will begin advancing its six-pack packaging to fully recyclable and sustainably sourced cardboard-wrap carriers at the end of 2022.

Once the transition is complete, Molson Coors will move more than 30 brands away from plastic rings, eliminating about 1.7 million pounds of plastic waste annually.

We don’t believe buying beer should mean buying single-use plastic,” Tracey Schenck, senior marketing manager for Coors Light told Beer & Beyond. “This is how we see the future and invite the public and other companies to join us.”

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(All image credits: Molson Coors)