Edible six-pack rings feed animals instead of killing them

Plastic six-pack rings, harmless tools for humans, pose a serious threat to marine life. Sea birds, turtles, and other species end up entangled in the plastic when they are discarded and land on our beaches and in our oceans.

Saltwater Brewery, a small craft beer brand, decided to create a product that would solve this problem as well as make a statement for the whole beer industry to follow. Together with We Believers, an advertising agency, the team designed, prototyped and manufactured edible six pack rings. This revolutionary six-pack packaging design feeds animals instead of killing them.

The edible rings are made from barley and wheat and other beer by-products during the brewing process. Not only are they completely safe for humans and fish to eat, they are 100 percent biodegradable and compostable.

The edible rings are more expensive to make than plastic rings, but the creators hope other breweries will follow suite, causing production costs to come down, making edible rings competitive with plastic ones.

"We hope to influence the big guys," Chris Goves, Saltwater Brewery's president, said. "And hopefully inspire them to get on board."

See more on the edible six pack rings below:

See pictures of sea turtles below: