Guinness will eliminate plastic packaging

Manufacturers Guinness, Harp and Smithwick intend to phase out the use of plastic packaging to eliminate the equivalent of 40 million plastic bottles of waste stream, said company officials.

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The company is investing $ 21 million to make the changes, officials said.

"For 260 years, Guinness has played a vital role in the communities around us," said Mark Sandys, global beer manager at Diageo, which owns the beer brands. "We already have one of the most sustainable breweries in the world at St. James's Gate and we are now at the forefront of sustainable packaging."

Cardboard packaging will be on the shelf in Ireland in August and an international rollout is planned for 2020.

The individual cans, including the widget, are already recyclable.

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