Plastic 6 pack rings have been an environmental nuisance for decades because they don’t decompose and have harmed countless animals. There have been very few solutions proposed to overcome this problem such as plastic can top huggers (won’t hurt animals but still won’t decompose) and the cardboard 6 pack boxes.
Recently, the Saltwater Brewery in Florida has created a new 6 pack ring that is edible and biodegradable and it is made of the byproducts of the brewing process such as wheat and barley.
The prototypes have been created using a 3D printer and the cost is more than the plastic rings. If the idea catches on and more beer companies want to adopt this method, then the price could come down to the same cost as plastic.
Cheers!
