PaperAge Magazine

Footprint Introduces Compostable Six-Pack Can Ring With Colorado Native Craft Beer

Footprint's fiber-based six-pack ring for beverage cans Footprint's six-pack rings are made from post-industrial recycled fiber and are 100 percent bio-based, recyclable and compostable in commercial composting facilities.

June 18, 2019 – Footprint, a leader in manufacturing environmentally friendly packaging solutions, is introducing a plastic-free, fiber-based six-pack ring for beverage cans. These eco-friendly, biodegradable rings are now being tested on a selection of Colorado Native beers. Colorado Native is the first brand to test Footprint's fully compostable and recyclable six-pack ring solution. Colorado Native is brewed by AC Golden, an incubator brewery within Coors Brewing Company that is charged with developing and nurturing small above premium malt beverages.

The rings are made from post-industrial recycled fiber and are 100 percent bio-based, recyclable and compostable in commercial composting facilities. Footprint's new fiber materials free customers from confusion at the bin, because no matter what bin — they win. Unlike plastic, where if it is incorrectly handled, the plastic ends up as a contaminate in the waste stream and potentially in the environment.

Footprint and AC Golden are working together to introduce a six-pack ring that does not contribute to global plastic pollution.

“As a company, environmental stewardship is incredibly important from the ingredients grown in the field to the packaging on our products. It was very important that we find a packaging solution that can perform at the same standards our retailers and customers expect with the current plastic ring. In this case, we are pleased with both the durability and environmental performance we've achieved with Footprint,” explains David Coors, president of AC Golden Brewing Company.

In order to ensure the product met the performance standards of AC Golden, Footprint conducted and built custom testing procedures and apparatus to demonstrate the durability of the fiber six-pack rings. The new fiber rings were tested under extreme conditions which exposed them to a high humidity environment for 24 hours before conducting standard transit testing.

“After months of testing that demonstrates real-world distribution and usage, we're confident this six-pack ring will perform as well as plastic,” says Jeff Bassett, vice president of marketing at Footprint. “Our goal is always to find the best ways to eliminate the need for plastic in common-use products.”

About Footprint

Footprint has a clear vision: eliminate single-use and short-term use plastics. Footprint designs, develops and manufactures shaped fiber and paper into bio-degradable, compostable products. To learn more, please visit: footprintus.com.

SOURCE: Footprint