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Corona / Business Wire
Corona will pilot 100 percent plastic-free six pack rings in select markets—the first global beer brand to attempt the switch after moves from smaller beer companies.
The plant-based rings will be piloted in Tulum, Mexico—Corona's homeland—at the beginning of 2019.
<p>Corona's move is part of a larger effort with the environmental organization <a href="http://www.parley.tv/#fortheoceans" target="_blank">Parley for the Oceans</a> to switch to eco-friendly packaging to help curb plastic pollution, according to a <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181127005152/en/Corona-Launches-Plastic-Free-Pack-Rings" target="_blank">press release</a>.<br></p><p><span></span>"The beach is an important part of Corona's DNA and we have been working with Parley to address the issue on the frontlines where plastic is physically accumulating," Corona Better World Director Evan Ellman said in the press release. "We also recognize the influence a global brand like Corona can have on the industry, and with the support of Parley, are pursuing scalable solutions like plastic-free six pack rings that can become a new standard to avoid plastic for good."</p><p>Corona is testing its rings made from "plant-based biodegradable fibers, with a mix of by-product waste and compostable materials," the press release said. If littered, "they break down into organic material that is not harmful to wildlife."</p><p><span></span>Six-pack rings have long been detested by environmentalists who warn that the material clogs our shores and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/carlsberg-plastic-rings-recyclable-glue-2602904827.html">oceans</a> and could potentially strangle marine life.</p><p>Florida's <a href="https://saltwaterbrewery.com/pages/community" target="_blank">Saltwater Brewery</a> kick-started the ring reinvention <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/first-ever-100-edible-six-pack-ring-feeds-marine-animals-instead-of-ki-1891135036.html" target="_self">two years ago</a> with a compostable substitute derived from wheat and barley byproducts, meaning it could be safely eaten by turtles and fish. The project was a collaboration with Eco Six Pack Ring's, New York ad agency <a href="http://www.webelievers.com/" target="_blank">We Believers</a> and a Mexican biodegradable manufacturer called Entelequia. The microbrewer's rings can now be found at Florida outlets such as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/publix/?fref=mentions" target="_blank">Publix</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TotalWineAndMore/?fref=mentions" target="_blank">Total Wine & More</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WholeFoods/?fref=mentions" target="_blank">Whole Foods Market</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/luckysmarket/?fref=mentions" target="_blank">Lucky's Market</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ABCFineWineSpirits/?fref=mentions" target="_blank">ABC Fine Wine & Spirits</a>.</p><p>In September, Danish beer company Carlsberg announced it is <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/carlsberg-plastic-rings-recyclable-glue-2602904827.html" target="_blank">phasing out the plastic rings</a> connecting its cans. The rings will be replaced with a glue that withstands cold temperatures and can be recycled along with the can.<br></p><p>Parley founder and CEO Cyrill Gutsch said in the press release that Corona is a "powerful ally in our war against marine plastic pollution—and in building the material revolution that will lead us beyond it."<br></p><p>"We share the goal of phasing plastic out for good, because we simply can't afford its toxic impact anymore," he added. </p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
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A literal wave of mostly plastic marine debris, including beverage bottles and takeaway containers, was filmed washing ashore Montesinos Beach in the Dominican Republic capital after a storm on Thursday.
The footage was captured by the environmental nonprofit Parley for the Oceans, which described the plastic flow as a "dense garbage carpet."
<p>
In an interview with
<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-44914919/wave-of-plastic-hits-dominican-republic" target="_blank">BBC News</a>, Parley founder Cyrill Gutsch described the scene as "unfortunately, the new normal."
</p><p>
"Plastic is a design failure and there is no circular economy that can fix this," he said. "It's really the material itself, and we don't believe this material can ever be contained."
</p><p>
More than
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/8-million-metric-tons-of-plastic-dumped-into-worlds-oceans-each-year-1882012563.html">8 million tons</a> of plastic is dumped into our oceans every year, according to a 2015 <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/content/347/6223/768.short" target="_blank">study</a> published in <em>Science</em>. This debris has negatively impacted more than 800 species of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/marine-life" target="_blank">marine animals</a>, a 2016 United Nations <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2016/12/547032-new-un-report-finds-marine-debris-harming-more-800-species-costing-countries" target="_blank">report</a> found.
</p><p>
What's more, as Gutsch noted, the chemicals that the plastics carry can also pose threat to the environment.
</p><p>
"Even if you recycle [plastic] and even if you use it in the best possible way, it always leaches chemicals. And that's what you don't see in this video, all these toxic liquids that come with it," he told BBC.
</p><p>
Parley said it is working with the local navy, the army, public workers and the Santo Domingo government to clear the plastic tide.
</p><p>
More than 500 public workers were recruited for the operation. After three days of work, the teams collected 30 tons of plastic, the group said.
</p><p>
So far, six tons of the recovered plastic will be transformed into a material used to create products, Parley added.
</p><p>
<span></span>The nonprofit has teamed up with a number of major sports and fashion brands to transform plastic collected and recycled from the oceans into new items such as <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/parley-for-the-oceans-partners-2574315406.html">running shoes and sunglasses</a>.
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EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
Kai Schreiber / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
Momentum is building in the war against single-use plastics. In the past week, a slew of major companies—including SeaWorld parks, American Express, cruise company Royal Caribbean, IKEA, A&W Canada and Burger King UK—have pledged to eliminate items such as plastic drinking straws, stirrers, lids and bags in efforts to protect our oceans and their inhabitants.
SeaWorld Entertainment announced Thursday, right before World Oceans Day, that all 12 of its theme parks have removed all single-use plastic drinking straws and shopping bags.
<p style="">
"This milestone environmental achievement is a testament to our mission to protect the environment, the ocean and the animals we share our planet with, which are currently threatened by unprecedented amounts of plastic pollution," said interim SeaWorld CEO John Reilly in a statement. "We see the harmful effects of plastic pollution in the animals we rescue and rehabilitate, and therefore, recognize the importance of doing our part to curb plastic pollution."
</p><p style="">
Similarly, American Express, through a new partnership with
<a href="http://www.parley.tv/">Parley for the Oceans</a>, said Wednesday it will phase out plastic straws and coffee stirrers for all its major offices and Centurion airport lounges globally within 30 days. Among other measures, the company will also pursue zero waste certification for its New York City headquarters by 2025, and launch a credit card manufactured primarily from recovered plastic found in the oceans and on the coasts. The ocean plastic card currently exists as a prototype and is expected be made available to the public within the next 12 months.
</p><p>
"Every second breath we take is created by the oceans," said Cyrill Gutsch, founder of Parley for the Oceans, in a statement. "Without them, we can't exist. American Express is creating a symbol of change and inviting their network to shape a blue future, one based on creativity, collaboration and eco-innovation."
</p><p>
As for the fast food world, even if McDonald's shareholders seem to be
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/mcdonalds-plastic-straws-2571961793.html" target="_blank">dragging their feet</a> about plastic straws, other quick service joints have joined the anti-plastic bandwagon. Following in the <a href="http://fortune.com/2018/03/28/mcdonalds-plastic-straw-ban/">footsteps of its UK-rival</a>, Burger King UK marked World Oceans Day with their own announcement:
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That same day, A&W Canada became the first fast food chain in North America to commit to eliminating plastic straws from its restaurants by January 2019 and offer paper straws as an option. The company said the move will prevent 82 million plastic straws from ending up in landfills every year,
<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/a-w-canada-to-eliminate-plastic-straws-from-all-restaurants-1.4698272" target="_blank">CBC</a> reported.
</p><p>
"Introducing packaging innovations that reduce waste is key to A&W's environmental strategy," said Tyler Pronyk, A&W Canada's director of distribution, equipment & packaging, as quoted by
<a href="http://www.sustainablebrands.com/news_and_views/waste_not/sustainable_brands/trending_single-use_plastics_continue_be_tossed_brands" target="_blank">Sustainable Brands</a>. "By using compostable packaging, real mugs, plates and cutlery, we are diverting millions of single-use packaging from landfills every year."
</p><p>
<span></span>The corporate tide against plastics coincides with commitments made
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-g7-climate-change-oceans-2577091904.html">earlier this week</a>, in which Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the UK and the EU endorsed the <a href="https://g7.gc.ca/en/official-documents/charlevoix-blueprint-healthy-oceans-seas-resilient-coastal-communities/#a1" target="_blank">G7 Ocean Plastics Charter</a>, which sets goals towards reducing the use of unnecessary plastics and improving recycling. Japan and the U.S., however, declined to sign the agreement.
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Parley Continues Its Innovative Campaign to Save Our Oceans With Sports and Fashion Partners
01 June 2018
Business
Parley for the Oceans and adidas are teaming up for the second annual Run for the Oceans starting June 8. Adidas
As World Oceans Day approaches June 8, the innovative non-profit Parley for the Oceans is teaming up with partners in the sports and fashion industries to raise awareness about the threats facing our oceans and take action to save them.
<p>On Thursday, <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/run-for-the-oceans-grows-in-2018--adidas-x-parley-announce-expanded-global-campaign-to-harness-the-power-of-sport-and-continue-fight-against-the-threat-of-marine-plastic-pollution-300657555.html" target="_blank">Adidas announced</a> that it would once again work with Parley for the second annual Run For The Oceans. Starting World Oceans Day and lasting for one month, Adidas will donate $1 for every kilometer run by participants to the <a href="http://www.parley.tv/ocean-plastic-program/" target="_blank">Parley Ocean Plastic Program</a>, which targets marine <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/plastics" target="_self">plastic</a> pollution specifically. To <a href="https://www.adidas.co.uk/parley" target="_blank">participate</a>, runners can download the Runtastic App. </p><p>In the world of fashion, Porter Magazine teamed up with Parley to dedicate its summer issue, launching June 1, to plastic pollution, <a href="https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-bites/porter-magazine-partners-with-parley-for-the-oceans" target="_blank">Business of Fashion reported</a>. The cover features model, activist and Parley ambassador Anja Rubik.</p><p>"What we are trying to do by working with Porter is to highlight the beauty and fragility of our oceans, and to invite the fashion industry, especially luxury brands, to collaborate," Rubik told <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/fashion/netaporter-are-going-plasticfree-a3850306.html" target="_blank">The Evening Standard</a>. "We have passed the point of raising awareness and symbolic actions; now it's time for solutions that can be scaled quickly."</p><iframe width="100%" height="150" scrolling="no" class="rm-shortcode twitter-embed-1001924991154380810" id="twitter-embed-1001924991154380810" type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="/res/community/twitter_embed/?iframe_id=twitter-embed-1001924991154380810&created_ts=1527712507.0&screen_name=parleyforoceans&text=We+joined+forces+with+%40PORTERmagazine%2C+%40anjarubikblog+%26amp%3B+Mario+Sorrenti+to+merge+content%2C+commerce+and+cause.+For+th%E2%80%A6+https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FRRKAjuirB1&id=1001924991154380810&name=Parley" frameborder="0" data-rm-shortcode-id="KM2C1Y1576661781"></iframe><p>In a not-so-symbolic action, Porter is also taking the <a href="https://air.parley.tv/" target="_blank">Parley A.I.R. Pledge</a> to "Avoid plastic wherever possible, Intercept plastic waste, [and] Redesign your life." The publication will aim to be plastic-free by 2019, Business of Fashion reported. </p><p>The summer issue will feature an ocean-themed interview by Parley founder Cyrill Gutsch with oceanographer Sylvia Earle, who is spearheading the upcoming <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/march-for-the-ocean-2562957165.html" target="_self">March for the Ocean</a> June 9. Customers will also be able to purchase upcycled items made with <a href="http://www.parley.tv/updates/2016/11/3/adidas-x-parley-the-first-performance-products-from-parley-ocean-plastic?rq=threat%20to%20" target="_blank">Parley Ocean Plastic</a> on the <a href="https://www.net-a-porter.com/gb/en/?&cm_mmc=GoogleUK--c-_-NAP_EN_UK_London-_-Brand+Other--Brand_Misspells_Exact-_-net%20aporter_e_kwd-5306063612_INTL&gclid=CjwKCAjw3cPYBRB7EiwAsrc-uQneBUoxkvMqGCJFVnB43sF0Roc_Js1d6O7KUPHXGRq_oT3v0BPWOBoC55oQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank">Net-a-Porter</a> site like Clean Waves sunglasses and Adidas X Parley sneakers, Business of Fashion reported. </p><p>The sneakers are a testament to Adidas and Parley's long-running partnership, as this year's Run For The Oceans is another. On Earth Day, the two also <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/adidas-recycled-plastic-soccer-jerseys-2561473205.html" target="_self">partnered</a> with Major League Soccer to promote Parley Ocean Plastic. </p><p>"At Adidas, we believe that sport has the power to change lives and the Run For The Oceans movement truly reflects this. We have created a unique global platform that gives everyone the opportunity to impact their lives by joining a collective running movement that fights marine plastic pollution. Seeing the adidas family unite for a shared purpose is what makes the campaign so powerful," Andre Maestrini, the general manager of Adidas Sports Business Units, said. </p><p>Adidas will donate up to $1 million if participants run a million kilometers, specifically to the <a href="http://www.parley.tv/updates/2016/1/6/parley-ocean-school-the-maldives" target="_blank">Parley Ocean School</a> initiative, which gives children the chance to experience the ocean first-hand and value its protection. </p><p>To bring athletes and activists together, Adidas will host a series of physical runs in cities around the world, kicking off with a run in Los Angeles' Temescal Park June 8. </p>
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Adidas sold a million pairs of shoes made from ocean plastic last year, according to CEO Kasper Rorsted.
In 2015, the German sportswear giant partnered with Parley for the Oceans, an environmental initiative addressing major threats to the world's oceans, to develop products made from recycled marine plastic. After much anticipation, they introduced three versions of the UltraBoost shoe last year.
<p style="">
"We last year sold 1 million shoes made out of ocean plastic," Rorsted told
<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/14/adidas-sold-1-million-shoes-made-out-of-ocean-plastic-in-2017.html" target="_blank">CNBC</a> on Wednesday.
</p><p style="">
<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/adidas-tackle-ocean-plastic-2376567818.html" target="_blank">Each pair</a> uses an average of 11 plastic bottles and incorporates recycled plastic into the laces, heel webbing, heel lining and sock liner covers.
</p><p style="">
In 2016, the company pledged to
<a href="https://www.adidas-group.com/en/media/news-archive/press-releases/2016/adidas-group-makes-plastic-shopping-bags-history/" target="_blank">phase out plastic bags</a> in its 2,900 retail stores around the world, saving 70 million plastic shopping bags by switching to paper bags in its stores.
</p><p style="">
In another sign that Adidas is ramping up its commitment to sustainability, attendees at the SXSW conference in Houston this week
<a href="https://twitter.com/ahiza_garcia/status/973328015219445760" target="_blank">heard</a> Eric Liedtke, the head of Global Brands, saying that Adidas wants to produce all of its products—from footwear to apparel—out of recycled plastic from the ocean by 2024.
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Adidas's Parley Ultraboost.
Adidas is getting serious about ocean plastic, turning the pollution "from threat into thread."
The sportswear giant, along with partner Parley for the Oceans, has released three new models of its shoes made from marine debris—the Ultraboost, Ultraboost X and Ultraboost Uncaged.
<p>According to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/adidas-releases-new-parley-ocean-waste-plastic-shoes-2017-4" target="_blank">Business Insider</a>, each pair uses an average of 11 plastic bottles and incorporates recycled plastic into the shoe's laces, heel webbing, heel lining and sock liner covers.</p><p>The company has a <a href="http://www.designboom.com/technology/adidas-x-parley-ocean-plastic-ultraboost-04-24-2017/" target="_blank">goal</a> of creating 1 million pairs of the popular running shoes from recovered <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/oceans">ocean</a> plastic in 2017.</p><p><span></span>"The new additions to the adidas x Parley collection are another step in our journey to creating one million pairs of Ultraboost from up-cycled marine plastic," <a href="http://news.adidas.com/US/Latest-News/ALL/adidas-introduces-parley-editions-of-game-changing-running-footwear/s/c1722809-0c26-40bc-8393-8d664701d326" target="_blank">said</a> Mathias Amm, a product category director at adidas. </p><p>The new, ocean-inspired sneakers will be available in-store and online May 10.<br></p><p><a href="http://www.adidas-group.com/en/media/news-archive/sustainability-news/2015/adidas-group-announces-new-partnership-parley-oceans-and-launche/" target="_blank">Adidas partnered</a> with Parley for the Oceans—a team of artists, musicians, actors, directors, fashion designers, journalists, architects, product inventors and scientists addressing major threats to the world's oceans— to develop materials made from ocean plastic waste to use in its products starting in 2016. Last November, adidas and Parley rolled out 7,000 pairs of its 3D-printed shoes made from recycled ocean plastics. </p><p>To ramp up its commitment to sustainability, adidas phased out <a href="http://ecowatch.com/2014/04/23/plastic-bag-bans-across-u-s/" target="_blank">plastic bags</a> in its 2,900 retail stores around the world, saving 70 million plastic shopping bags by switching to paper bags in its stores. <br></p><p>EcoWatch has extensively covered the devastating <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-trash-arctic-ocean-2370411606.html" target="_blank">global issue of ocean plastic</a>, which is a major <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/whale-dead-plastic-bags-2242936742.html">threat</a> to marine life, marine <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-waste-causes-13-billion-in-damages-to-marine-ecosystems-each-y-1881928486.html">ecosystems</a> and <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/scientists-warn-that-you-could-be-inhaling-chemically-laden-microplast-1891129394.html">our own health</a>. A staggering 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into the oceans every year. </p>
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