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A brewery in Florida has come up with edible six pack rings in order to do some good to marine life. Yes, if these six pack rings end up into seas or oceans they can be eaten up safely and therefore pose no threat to any water creatures.

The six pack rings are usually made up of plastic and when they enter the marine environment by chance they cause serious problems to life forms. Plastics don't decompose in water or inside the animal body when they are eaten up. As a result they cause impaction, plastic build-up in the gut and also cause problems like strangulation and entanglement. These issues not only cause difficulties to marine animals but also result in death of the organisms.

To resolve this issue, Florida's SaltWater Brewery, along with an advertising agency named We Believers started working on eco-friendly, biodegradable alternative. They finally developed a product made from wheat and barley, the by-products obtained from beer making. The eco-friendly six pack rings not only make sure the beer by-products are not wasted but also discompose as they enter the water environment. They are also safe if they are consumed by fishes, turtles or any sea creatures.

"It has been an extremely exciting process," Marco Vega, chief strategy officer and co-founder of We Believers, says. "It's 100 per cent natural and biodegradable and we are also using materials that are ultimately edible and safe for wildlife to ingest and digest. We decided to tackle the issue head on and make a statement for the whole beer industry to follow," Vega added, noted Australian Geographic.

Jennie Gilbert, co-founder of Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre appreciated the efforts of Vega and team in developing such a welcome alternative. However, she said since wheat and barley are not a part of diet of water-creatures the long-term effects of these products on their health is unknown.

"Full credit to them for thinking outside the square at what they can do to stop plastic use," said Gilbert, according to Australian Geographic. "Obviously it's better than plastic, there's no doubt about that, but does it cause a long-term effect if they ingest it, does it cause problems? We don't know that," she added.