Six pack rings

Six pack rings or six pack yokes are plastic rings that are used in shipping and packaging of beverage six packs, usually for aluminum cans of soft drinks and beer.

History

The six pack rings in most common use today are the descendants of an original design by ITW Hi-Cone, which first introduced them in St. Louis, Missouri in the summer of 1960. [http://www.hi-cone.com/Hi-Cone-info/history.htm Hi-Cone History ] ] Within 10 years, plastic rings had completely replaced the paper and metal based holders then common in the market. Today several other manufacturers also produce six pack rings.

Environmental concerns

Since the late 1970s [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990716.html The Straight Dope: Should you cut up six-pack rings so they don't choke sea birds? ] ] , six pack rings have been cited as a particularly dangerous form of marine litter. Marine wildlife have been found entangled in the rings and unable to free themselves, sometimes strangling to death. [ [http://www.helpwildlife.com/sixpackring.html Six pack rings hazard to wildlife ] ] [ [http://www.seagrantfish.lsu.edu/resources/factsheets/litter_mess.htm Louisiana Fisheries - Fact Sheets ] ] The instruction to cut apart the rings before disposal has been a popular one from environmentalists, promoted as a simple way that consumers can help alleviate the problem.

In pop culture

*"Obsoletely Fabulous", an episode of the animated television series "Futurama" features six ducks trapped in the same six pack ring, who are then mistaken for beer cans by the robot Bender.
*The 2006 animated film "Happy Feet" features a penguin whose head is trapped in a six pack ring.
* In the Simpsons episode The Old Man and the Lisa Montgomery Burns attaches millions of 'recycled' six-pack holders together into a net, which he uses to catch tons of sea life and make "Lil' Lisa Slurry".

References