PepsiCo Inc. will begin using paper packaging to replace plastic beverage rings on multipacks in the United States starting later this year.
The Purchase, N.Y.-based beverage and snack food giant said Aug. 24 paperboard designs will be introduced in a phased approach, following a similar transition already under way in Canada.
The move by PepsiCo follows Molson Coors Beverage Co.'s decision in 2022 to stop using plastic six-pack rings for the Coors Light product line. That company also unveiled plans to move the company's entire North American product portfolio away from plastic rings by the end of 2025.
And it was back in 2018 when Danish beer maker Carlsberg Breweries A/S introduced its Snap Pack approach that uses glue on six packs. Adhesive, the company said at the time, is strong enough to keep the cans together during shipment and handling. But the design allows customers to easily twist cans apart when it's time to enjoy a cold one.
Conversion to paperboard packaging at PepsiCo includes the brands Pepsi, Pepsi Zero, Mountain Dew, Starry and Gatorade. The move also will include 7Up in Canada.
"The new packaging is easy to implement on shelf for customers, has consumer-friendly branded-design, is made from recycled materials and is recyclable," PepsiCo said in a statement.
The decision to ditch plastic rings is part of a larger push by PepsiCo to reduce virgin plastic use from nonrenewable sources by 50 percent by 2030. The company said it expects to eliminate use of "millions of pounds of plastics from its packaging in North America over the coming years."
PepsiCo is using 2020 consumption as a baseline to measure the company's decrease in virgin plastics use per serving.