What would you change in modern packaging to save the environment? Less cardboard and plastic waste? How about none at all? A small microbrewery in Florida has done just that, creating a 100% biodegradable package for their six-packs of beer.

Saltwater Brewery is the first to create a 100% biodegradable and edible ring packaging that works just as well for holding beer as any plastic ever has (and better than any eco-friendly packaging before it). Instead of being made of plastic like most packaging, Saltwater Brewery uses the barley and wheat ribbons that are left over after the brewing process.

Unlike some plastics that break down in the presence of sunlight, these rings will degrade naturally once they enter the environment. Not only that, they can be eaten by sea life that comes into contact with it and other garbage. This means that if Saltwater's packaging has not fully degraded yet, it is of no harm to wildlife. According to Discover, it could take at least 90 days for a holder made of photo-degradbale plastic to degrade, and still some could be left as it never fully degrades (instead breaking into smaller pieces - microplastics). This means that simply cutting up a plastic ring holder into smaller pieces so that an animal won't get entangled can still cause harm. Animals can (and will) eat those pieces of plastic, as well as any other plastic that has broken down small enough to resemble food. Saltwater Brewery's new packaging, however, avoids this problem all-together.

The cost of these new rings is more expensive than normal, but the brewery hopes that they will set an example for other breweries and companies to step up and do the same. If this happens, the cost could lower to what regular plastic packaging costs now.

Saltwater Brewery's concern for wildlife could be a stepping stone towards a biodegradable future for six-pack holders everywhere, which could even mold into other forms of plastic.