Eight million metric tons of plastic end up into the ocean every year, which takes centuries to decompose, and at the same time, it is killing some of the planet’s most majestic creatures. One of the major contributors to this epidemic is the seemingly harmless six-pack rings found around cans of soda and beer. They can severely damage marine life, as they tangle the wings of sea birds, warp the shells of sea turtles, and choke seals. Plastic pollution is a serious issue for the Gulf of Mexico, as it has one of the highest concentrations of marine plastic in the world. Each net or bottle dipped into the Gulf by LSU researchers came up laden with plastic, and LSU’s Marki Benfield confirmed that this is always the case. Last year, a volunteer beach cleanup on three miles of Elmer’s Island gathered over 170 plastic six-pack rings, along with 4,000 pounds of other trash. However, one brewery in Florida has a solution- bio gradable six-pack rings that can serve as a snack to wildlife, as they are made of wheat and barley. They look like they are made out of cardboard, but the wheat and barley byproducts have been […]
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