Cheers! Corona launches plastic-free beer can rings

Beer brand Corona claims to have become the world's first beer brand to trial 100 per cent plastic free six pack rings, after last week unveiling a plant-based alternative it said will help cut plastic waste in our oceans.

Corona - which is owned by drinks giant AB InBev - said it will trial the new plant-based biodeogradeable rings in Mexico at the beginning of 2019. If the launch goes well, it plans to undertake another trial in the UK.

Usually six packs of beer are held together using polyethylene plastic, which does not biodegrade. Although technically recyclable, polyethylene plastic rings are almost always littered or thrown into general waste, Corona said.

By comparison, it said its new rings are made using a mixture of by-product waste and compostable materials, and would naturally break down in the environment if littered.

They were developed in collaboration with ocean charity Parley for Oceans, and could become "a new standard" for the drinks industry as it seeks to tackle plastic waste, according to Corona Better World director Evan Ellman.

"The beach is an important part of Corona's DNA and we have been working with Parley to address the issue on the frontlines where plastic is physically accumulating," he said. "We also recognize the influence a global brand like Corona can have on the industry, and with the support of Parley, are pursuing scalable solutions like plastic-free six pack rings that can become a new standard to avoid plastic for good."

The launch comes hot on the heels of Carlsberg's 'snap pack', which hit the market in September. The 'snap pack' ditches plastic wrapping altogether in favour of glue dots to hold beer together in a six pack formation.