Guinness Is Doing Away With Its Plastic Packaging

The parent company that makes Guinness, Harp, and Smithwick's beer has announced it will start phasing out plastic packaging this summer, according to Food and Wine. In an attempt to reduce waste and introduce more sustainable products, Diageo said in a statement that it will replace its plastic ring carriers and shrink wrap with "100 percent recyclable and biodegradable cardboard."

Diageo, which bills itself as the world's largest producer of spirits, said this measure is the equivalent of "removing 40 million 50cl plastic bottles from the world which, if laid out in a row, would reach from London to Beijing."

After rolling out the new packaging in Ireland this August, the company will introduce the cardboard packs to Great Britain and other international markets beginning in the summer of 2020. Though the company doesn't plan to completely eliminate plastics, it says it will ensure that 100 percent of its plastic use is recyclable, reusable, or compostable by 2025.

Diageo is the latest brewing company to take a stand against plastic packaging. In 2016, the Florida-based Salt Water Brewery introduced compostable six pack rings made from by-products of the brewing process, including wheat and barley, on some of their products. Carlsberg also announced last September that it would start using glue (instead of plastic rings) to hold its cans together, and Corona started experimenting with plastic-free rings last November.

These plastic rings can be harmful for marine habitats because wildlife can become ensnared in them. According to the Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup report from 2011, birds are the animal most likely to become stuck in a six-pack holder, followed by fish and invertebrates [PDF]. However, fishing lines and nets were identified as far greater sources of entanglement, and cigarettes were the greatest source of ocean pollution overall.

Beyond the effect on marine habitats, single-use plastics are also problematic because the U.S. recycles just 9 percent of its plastic waste. The problem has been compounded by China’s decision last year to stop accepting certain kinds of waste from western countries. Instead, some cities have been incinerating or stockpiling their recyclables as a stop-gap measure.