These edible six pack rings keep your beer safe AND they’re nature friendly, providing a tasty snack made from brewery byproducts.

Plastic six pack rings are the among the most destructive and evil things ever devised by mankind. Right up there with guns, Donald Trump, and the Kardashian clan.

Shocking images of sea birds and turtles entangled in them remind us that even the most innocuous household items can have deadly repercussions for the environment.

Thanks to a 3D printed innovation from a brewery based in Florida, however, we may have a sustainable solution to the blight of the six pack ring.

Saltwater Brewery has partnered with the ad agency We Believers to create he first fully edible beer can packaging. Made from brewing process byproducts like wheat and barley, their six pack holders are fully biodegradable and completely digestible.

Effectively, rather than ensnaring curious wildlife in a deadly straitjacket, edible six pack rings could serve as a satisfying snack. And if there’s nothing around to gobble them down, the rings quickly decompose.

But beer lovers can rest easy, too. Edible six-pack rings are just as strong as the plastic variety, so your six steps to Friday night oblivion will remain safe and sound.

And if you feel peckish, you can always eat them yourself…

Edible Six Pack Rings Could Revolutionize Drinks Industry

How were the Edible Six Pack Rings made? Saltwater Brewery made a test batch of 500 holders in April, using a set of five 3D printed molds, according to AdvertisingAge. It plans to scale up production to meet its current output of 400,000 cans of beer a month.

While the edible holders are more expensive to make than a plastic ring — between 10 and 15 cents per unit, for craft beer that costs more than $10 for a six-pack — We Believers and Saltwater Brewery are challenging other beer producers to adopt the idea.

Gustavo Lauria, We Believer’s founder and CCO, said:

“It shows that through innovation the little guys can point the finger at governments and big business to motivate change that impacts our world and the one we will leave for our children. If most craft breweries and big beer companies implement this technology, the manufacturing cost will drop and be very competitive compared with the current plastic solution, while saving hundreds of thousands of marine lives.”

Unfortunately, it’s not just plastic rings that threaten wildlife. According to the Ocean Conservancy’s 2015 report, plastic of every size and shape is floating in our oceans. Researchers for the report found plastic inside many species of marine animals, and these plastics often absorb and store dangerous chemicals.

Edible six pack rings are just a small step on a longer journey, but if adopted by other beer and soft drink makers, it could make a appreciably positive impact on the environment.