One of Australia’s biggest beer producers, Carlton & United Breweries (CUB), is scrapping plastic six-pack rings from the breweries making some of Australia’s favourite beers.
Both the CUB breweries in Abbotsford, Melbourne and Yatala on the Gold Coast will be replacing the plastic rings traditionally used on six-packs of VB and Carlton Draught with a cardboard alternative. These breweries join the CUB’s Cascade Brewery in Tasmania in taking the pledge to ditch plastic packaging.
The company expects the move away from plastic ring packaging will prevent 25 million such items from entering the environment each year. These rings are notorious for their negative impact on wildlife, with marine mammals often mistaking them for jellyfish and birds becoming entangled in the loops.
Company CEO Peter Filipovic said in a statement that the move reflected the importance of highlighting sustainability in all operations moving forward.
“We’ve been around for 180-odd years. We’re determined to be around for another 180 and more, and our sustainability program is critical to that,” Filipovic said.
“Last year we made a commitment that 100% of our products will be in packaging that is returnable or made from majority-recycled content by 2025. The decision to stop using plastic six-pack rings is a major step towards achieving that.”
The move is part of CUB’s wider 2025 Sustainability goals, which includes standards for circular packaging, sourcing 100% of electricity from renewable sources and improving water efficiency across operations. Last month marked the opening of the Karadoc Solar Farm outside Mildura, where CUB will be sourcing much of their electricity from.
Positive Action
- Wherever possible, choose beverage options are locally sourced and have minimal plastic packaging to reduce the environmental impact of your brew.
- For the unavoidable packaging waste, check RecyclingNearYou to find out how to recycle it or dispose of it responsibly.
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Positive Environment News has been compiled using publicly available information. Planet Ark does not take responsibility for the accuracy of the original information and encourages readers to check the references before using this information for their own purposes.