We Finally Know A Hack For Getting Bottles Out Of Those Annoying Plastic Rings

If you've had a bottled or canned beverage before, you're familiar with the plastic rings that often come with them. These rings, used to keep the bottles or cans together for purchasing purposes, are typically seen as an inconvenience at best and an environmental hazard at worst. Most people either yank the beverages through the plastic holes, which takes effort and leaves dangerous rings that animals might get caught in, or use something sharp to snip the plastic, which requires you to have scissors or another snipping implement.

Fret not: TikToker @HelloRickyG has documented a hack that makes quick work of those plastic rings in a single motion. On the side of the rings, there should be a pull tab you can grab. Hold it firmly and yank it back, and you should have easy access to your drinks. The TikTok in question has more than 50k likes and hundreds of comments expressing shock over not knowing this trick sooner.

The use of plastic rings, also known as "six pack rings," has been controversial for some time now. Plastic rings don't degrade very quickly after being thrown away, and the circular shape of the plastic loops makes it easy for wildlife to get their necks or limbs caught in the plastic. You may have seen photos of birds, turtles, or other creatures with a six pack ring around their neck or body. Marine life is especially susceptible, as these lightweight disposables can easily blow from landfills and trash bins into waterways, where they can float around indefinitely until something gets caught.

@hellorickyg

This video just hit 100k on reels so I thought I'd post it here again. 🤷🏽‍♂️ #lifehacks #diy #igotyou #reels #sharingknowledge #xyzbca #fyp

♬ original sound – Ricky G

Environmental groups have attempted to ban these rings and have been successful in countries including Germany and certain states, such as Vermont. Breweries and other businesses have also opted to use other options for holding six packs together, such as snappable or cardboard carriers.

If you have to buy bottles or cans with plastic rings on them, remember to recycle properly and to thoroughly snip the closed-off portions open so that small creature heads and limbs can't get stuck.

The internet is full of hacks, and there are plenty of others related to drinks if you're looking for more ways to improve your beverage consumption strategy. For example, if you've been searching for an easy way to hold your straw in place while sipping a soda from a can, there's a simple solution. Just rotate the can's pull-tab so that it's facing the opposite way, slide the straw into the hole, and presto.

TikTok is a never-ending source of hacks, too. There's another hack on the site that shows an easier way to open plastic water bottle cases (the ones that bottled drinking water usually comes in). A video from user @HouseofHighlights shows a person slicing the case in half horizontally with a knife and then pulling the two sides back, offering easy access to the bottles inside. Searching TikTok turns up a medley of other hacks — there are plenty out there if you know where to look for them.