Saltwater Brewery six-pack rings feed wildlife instead of hurting them

Saltwater Brewery (a Florida craft microbrewery) along with a startup called E6PR, has developed a biodegradable six-pack ring which can be used in the packaging of their beverages. The six-pack rings are made using wheat and barley and can serve as food for wildlife. The problem of plastic pollution on beaches and in waterways is worldwide. Many plastic six-pack rings become entangled around birds and fish and cause issues for growing turtles. According to researchers at Louisiana State University, the Gulf of Mexico has one of the world’s largest concentrations of marine plastic waste. 170 plastic six-pack rings and 4,000 pounds of trash were reportedly gathered by 200 volunteers over a two and a half mile stretch of Elmer’s island last year.