Edible Six-Pack Rings Saves Marine Life and Our Oceans

There are images that will forever be burned into our minds. Some are wonderful and some, not so much. I have a picture in my mind of a turtle that encountered a six-pack ring of plastic when it was a baby. It could not shed this new belt because, well, it's a turtle. They can't exactly pull off things they come into contact with in the sea. As the turtle grew, the plastic ring did not and the turtle became deformed and its internal organs were constricted. Of course, the ending is not a happy one.

Ever since I saw that picture and heard the story, anytime I have bought a six-pack of soda or beer I have always cut the rings of plastic before disposing it. Yeah, it's an annoying extra step but to me it is worth the 15 seconds of finding a pair of scissors and making sure I am not a part of the problem.

Speaking of being a part of the solution, Saltwater Brewery, has really stepped up to this issue and created ring-holders made of the remnants of the beer they make. They are 100% biodegradable and made from barley and wheat and totally safe for all marine life.

Returntonow.net says that every year the United States goes through over six billion gallons of beer. The plastic rings that hold these beer cans together end up in the ocean and kill millions of birds, fish and sea turtles.

They project that by the year 2050, there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish. If soda companies and beer manufacturers follow the lead of Saltwater Brewery it will not only save our marine life, it will save our oceans and our planet.

2050 is only 33 years away.