Guinness will stop using plastic rings and wrap on multipacks

Guinness announced this week that it will shift away from using plastic in its beer multipacks, instead moving to sustainable packaging.

Guinness’s parent company Diageo announced Monday in a news release that the brewery would invest 16 million pounds, or about $21 million, in a project to reduce the amount of plastics in its beer packaging.

The company said Guinness would introduce completely recyclable and biodegradable cardboard to replace previously used plastic packaging.

{mosads}The company said 5 percent of its packaging currently is made up of plastic materials. Diageo added that it was investing in reusable, compostable or biodegradable plastics.

“We’re continuously looking for ways to work with our suppliers, customers and consumers to make our packaging more sustainable and our targets ensure that 100% of plastics used are designed to be widely recyclable, or reusable/compostable,” the company said in a statement.

Beverage manufacturers have been under increased pressure in recent months to cut back on the amount of single-use plastic used by their companies. Plastic rings, which have long been used on multipacks of canned drinks, have been connected to increased ocean pollution and can pose risks to wildlife. 

Last month, beverage giant Coca-Cola revealed that it produced more than 3 million tons of plastic in 2017 as part of its products. 

A number of municipalities and businesses have begun to move away from using plastic bags and straws in recent years amid concerns about the material’s negative affects on the environment.