Carlsberg to ditch plastic rings for glue in a bid to reduce waste

Carlsberg has announced they will replace the plastic rings used to support four, six and eight packs of beer with technology that glues its cans together instead.

The company says the glue has been designed to cope with a range of temperatures including storage, transportation and then refrigeration in the home.

The cans make a snapping sound when pulled, and the glue can be recycled along with the can.

They say will reduce the amount of plastic used in traditional multi-packs by up to 76%.

Plastic can holders, known as ‘yokes’, has been cited in cases of animal death, with small creatures getting tangled and stuck in them both inland and at sea.

The cans will be available in UK branches of Tesco later this month, with Norway to follow.

The company claims the innovation, which has been in design for the last three years, will reduce plastic waste globally by more than 1200 tonnes a year – the equivalent to 60 million plastic bags.

Cees’t Hart, CEO of the Carlsberg Group, said: ‘It’s an important day for Carlsberg. We are working hard to deliver on our ambitious sustainability agenda and to help tackle climate change.’

‘We always strive to improve and today’s launch clearly shows our ambition to follow in our founder’s footsteps towards a better tomorrow. Carlsberg’s Snap Pack will significantly reduce the amount of plastic waste, and we look forward to giving our consumers better beer experiences with less environmental impact.’

Bo Øksnebjerg, Secretary General in WWF Denmark, added: ‘Our wildlife is drowning in plastic – and the problem is unfortunately growing considerably. We therefore need to act now.

‘We need less plastic to end up in nature. That is why we consider it huge progress that Carlsberg is now launching solutions that significantly reduce the amount of plastic in its packaging. With these new solutions, Carlsberg has taken the first big steps on the journey towards a more clean and green future.’