Coors Light Eliminates 6-pack Plastic Rings Globally
Nearly $85 million investment by Molson Coors will enable Coors Light to begin the move out of plastic rings this year
Coors Light today announced it will eliminate plastic rings from packaging globally, where Molson Coors owns brewing operations, and is set to become the largest beer brand in North America to move away from plastic rings. To support the move to more sustainable packaging, Molson Coors Beverage Company (NYSE: TAP) will invest $85 million, enabling Coors Light to begin the transition to fully recyclable and sustainably sourced cardboard-wrap carriers later this year.
Coors Light eliminates 6-Pack plastic rings globally
Molson Coors
The Molson Coors investment will upgrade packaging machinery, which will also allow the company’s entire North American portfolio of brands to advance to cardboard wrap carriers by the end of 2025. In total, the move by Molson Coors will save 1.7 million pounds of plastic waste annually. In 2021, Molson Coors removed plastic rings across all major brands sold in the United Kingdom, including Coors and Carling, and transitioned to recyclable cardboard sleeves. Molson Coors in Canada moved to more sustainable plastic rings in 2021 as an initial step, and as part of today’s announcement commits to eliminate plastic rings entirely.
“Our business, and Coors in particular, has a long history of using packaging innovation to protect our environment, and today we are building on that rich legacy,” said Molson Coors CEO Gavin Hattersley. “Just as Coors led the way by pioneering the recyclable aluminum can, Coors Light will lead the way by moving out of single-use plastic rings in North America.”
Coors Light will debut the new packaging at the “Plastic-Free Future Mart by Coors Light,” a super sustainable pop-up concept store in NYC. The Plastic-Free Future Mart will be open* March 2 to 6 and is located at 603 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn, NY to adults 21+.
The “Plastic Free Future Mart by Coors Light” will model as inspiration and a vision for a world with no single-use plastics.
“We believe that buying beer shouldn’t mean buying plastic,” said Marcelo Pascoa, Vice President of Marketing for the Coors Family of Brands. “That’s why we’re taking a step toward making packaging even more sustainable, and with this achievement Coors Light will save 400,000 pounds of single-use plastic from becoming waste every year.”
In 1959, Coors revolutionized the beverage industry when it debuted the two-piece recyclable aluminum can. Despite the five years and millions invested in the development of the recyclable can, Coors did not patent the new packaging. Instead, Coors actively encouraged other beverage makers to embrace the recyclable can which led to a recycling revolution.
Molson Coors set ambitious sustainability goals in 2017 to shape the company and set new standards for the beer and beverage industry. The three main areas of focus are water, climate and packaging. The Coors Light announcement today pushes Molson Coors closer to its goal of ensuring packaging is 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable, and consumer-facing plastic packaging is made from at least 30% recycled content by the end of 2025.
*The Plastic-Free Future Mart will be open during the hours of 12 and 7 p.m. to adults 21 years or older. Proof of full Covid-19 vaccine required.
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