It's usually not a good idea to mix alcohol and driving, especially when that alcohol is the notorious Four Loko. But cases of Four Loko from around the country are being shipped to a Virgina-based waste disposal company that is recycling Four Loko into ethanol fuel.
After federal authorities declared alcohol-laced energy drinks like Four Loko to be dangerous for consumption, wholesalers started looking for ways to unload themselves of the drinks. That's when they began turning to MXI Environmental Services in Virginia.
"We're equipped to process four truckloads a day, and we're at full capacity," says Brian Potters, the vice president of operations at MXI's facility in Abingdon, Va. He went on to say in an interview with the Associated Press, "There are about 30 different products involved, and we've only seen a couple of them at this point. It could go on for several months."
That's pretty impressive, since each truck holds 2,000 cases of the 23.5-ounce cans.
Nothing is going to waste in MXI's recycling process. The liquid itself is being distilled down to ethanol that will be blended into gasoline for vehicles. The aluminum cans will be sold to a recycler, and could be back on the shelves as a new beer can in 30 days, according to Potters. Even the cardboard that houses the cans will be recycled.
This process began when the FDA banned the makers of Four Loko from selling the drinks to the public, according to PC Magazine. At the time, the FDA said that the caffeine in the drinks was considered an "unsafe food additive."
Do you think this is the best way to dispose of the cases of Four Loko, or can you think of something better? Let us know in the comments section.
Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Tags: Energy, Food, Fossil Fuels, Green Tech
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