There’s huge strides being made by drinks manufacturers to reduce their plastic waste.

The latest is Diageo who own Guinness, they will be removing plastic ring carriers and shrink wrap from its multipacks.  Instead they will be using biodegradable cardboard packs.  They promise they will be sustainably sourced and 100% recyclable. The cans, including the widgets will also be recyclable.

The saving will be 400 tonnes of plastic waste. To put this in perspective, this is the equivalent of about 400 cars.

The new packaging will be on shelves on the island of Ireland from August 2019, with other international markets to follow in 2020.

“Great packaging is essential for our products. We have been working tirelessly to make our packaging more environmentally-friendly and I’m thrilled with this outcome for Guinness and other global beer brands.”  says David Cutter, Diageo’s chief sustainability officer and president of global supply and procurement.

Additional to this, Diaego aims to make all plastics  they use recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.

Last year, Carlsberg revealed their plans to replace its plastic can holders with recyclable glue, that has been dubbed Snap Pack glue.

Packs of cans will be held together by blobs of a strong glue, which has been designed to withstand a range of temperatures including storage, transportation refrigeration. They have invested in 3 years development and will estimated it will reduce plastic waste by 1,200 tonnes per year.

Plastic pack rings, known in the industry as hi-cones or yokes, have become an environmental issue by contributing to plastic pollution and posing a threat to marine life.

The cans will appear in Tesco branches in the UK first, before being expanded to Carlsberg’s other drinks portfolio which includes San Miguel and Tuborg.

Simon Boas Hoffmeyer, sustainability director at Carlsberg Group, said “We recognise our responsibility to operate sustainably and always strive for better.”

Corona have also followed suit, launching a pilot of plant-based biodegradable plastic free six pack rings made of plant based biodegradable fibres which will be launched this year.

The rings are made from plant-based biodegradable fibres made from a mix of by-product waste and compostable materials.

The ring will break down into organic material if they are left in the environment or can be disposed of in a compost facility.

The move is part of the business’s partnership with environmental organisation Parley for the Oceans, which aims to prevent marine plastic pollution. The rings will initially be piloted in Tulum, Mexico at the beginning of 2019, before being brought over to the UK.