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As more craft brewers embrace sustainability, the choice between recyclable, photodegradable, compostable, and biodegradable packaging can make all the difference. Roberts PolyPro offers eco-friendly can carriers that help breweries reduce their carbon footprints while maintaining durability and convenience.
Comparing Recyclable, Photodegradable, Compostable, and Biodegradable Can Packaging
Beverage can rings and handles are commonly made from low-density polyethylene (LDPE) or high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic. While all plastics eventually degrade, the primary difference between materials is how long the degradation process takes and the environmental impact along the way.
So, what packaging benefits consumers, producers, and the planet the most? Let’s explore the options.
Recyclable Packaging
Recycling conserves natural resources, reduces waste in landfills, lowers energy consumption, and plays a crucial role in protecting the environment by promoting a circular economy. That said, only about one-third of U.S. waste is recycled or composted, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
That’s because the U.S. recycling system faces several challenges, including a lack of consumer education—many people are unsure of what can be recycled, leading to contamination with non-recyclables.
Mixed-material packaging, such as paper-based can carriers with plastic coatings, adds to the problem by requiring separation before recycling. That slows down processing and can damage equipment.
Meanwhile, the lack of a sufficient domestic recycling infrastructure and unified nationwide sustainability goals results in more waste ending up in landfills or incinerators.
Photodegradable Packaging
You may have seen companies promote “photodegradable” can rings, but the truth is that all LDPE beverage can rings are photodegradable. This technology was specifically developed to reduce environmental risks, using a polymer that breaks down when exposed to UV light.
The catch: They must be exposed to UV light. While this happens if the rings are littered—not recommended!—they won’t photodegrade in landfills, where they’re buried and shielded from light.
Compostable Packaging
Compostable can rings for beverages are plant- or fiber-based, designed to break down completely over time—but only under specific conditions. They require either a specialized composting facility or an at-home composting bin to fully decompose.
However, only a fraction of Americans have access to composting services through local recycling or garbage collection, and even fewer actually compost themselves. That makes the effectiveness of compostable rings dependent on local infrastructure, which limits any environmental benefits.
Biodegradable Packaging
Biodegradable can rings and handles offer an eco-friendly solution for beverages; they fully decompose in landfill conditions, without harm to the environment.
Their advantages are clear: They’re environmentally friendly, decompose in various conditions without requiring consumer composting efforts, and significantly reduce the overall environmental impact of can carriers.
Which Can Carrier Leaves the Lightest Footprint?
Consumers are increasingly interested in how beverage companies are reducing their environmental impact. Biodegradable can carriers and rings offer the most direct and cost-effective path from disposal to degradation.
Following rigorous scientific tests, an independent agency demonstrated that Roberts PolyPro LDPE and HDPE multipacks completely biodegraded, without any false-positives or false-negatives, within 28- and 56-weeks respectively.
At Roberts PolyPro, our entire line of HDPE and LDPE can multipacks have a 100 percent biodegradable certification. If you’re ready to make a packaging choice for your brewery, download our free guide to learn how our biodegradable solutions can enhance your sustainability efforts without sacrificing form or function, and without breaking your budget.
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