Can you not? Plastic and metal ‘franken-can’ named Australia’s worst packaging at Unpackit awards

‘Completely unnecessary’ hybrid cans are not easily recycled or accepted by container refund schemes, and are already banned in WA

A single-use plastic and metal drinking vessel dubbed a “franken-can” has been given the dubious honour of the nation’s worst plastic packaging.

The plastic-metal hybrid can, which is not accepted by container refund schemes or easily recycled – has won the inaugural Unpackit award for Australia’s worst packaging.

The Unpackit awards have been established by the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS), Plastic Free Foundation and WWF-Australia to highlight the volume of plastic packaging used by Australians each year – an estimated 1.3m tonnes.

Cip Hamilton, plastics campaigns manager for AMCS, said of the inaugural award winner: “The franken-can is a completely unnecessary plastic-metal hybrid can that essentially ticks every box for problematic packaging.”

“We’re seeing cafes use these single-use plastic items for customers who are dining in,” replacing reusable cups and glasses, she added.

“They’re likely to end up as street litter , and they’re not accepted by containment refund schemes as other beverage containers are,” she said. “They’re really problematic and really have no place in our economy.”

The cans have already been banned in Western Australia, but Hamilton said: “Unfortunately, it’s a state-by-state model at the moment. The Australian government’s very overdue in its national packaging laws.