We’re not kidding: 4 Loko drink recycled into ethanol fuel

In the wake of an FDA crack down of caffeinated alcohol beverages, one Virginia company is working on converting such products as 4 Loko and similar drinks, into ethanol. “We’re equipped to process four truckloads a day, and we’re at full capacity,” Brian Potter, vice president of operations at MXI’s facility in Abingdon, Va., said. “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.”

Four companies, Phusion Projects, Charge Beverage Corp., New Century Brewing, and United Brands Company, voluntarily pulled their products off of shelves, but there could be up to 30 such items being pulled soon enough, which could keep MXI busy for a while.

MXI distills the alcohol from the drinks and in turn, sells it to be blended into gasoline, and sells the aluminum cans to a recycler. The water, cardboard packaging, and shipping pallets are also recycled.

-By: Stephen Calogera

Source: GigiaOm