Plastic rings on CUB beer cans replaced with cardboard

Drinkers of popular beer can brands — including VB, Carlton Draught and Carlton Dry — will notice something different at their local bottle shop in the coming weeks.

Beer giant Carlton & United Breweries is replacing plastic six-pack rings on cans with cardboard packaging across Australia.

Cans pumped out at its historic Abbotsford brewery — including VB, Carlton Draught and Carlton Dry — are now running off the production line with the redesigned carriers.

Drinkers will start seeing them appear in bottle shops in coming weeks.

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CUB said the shift to more “sustainable” packaging was a major milestone that would save more than 25 million plastic six-pack rings from entering the environment annually.

Chief executive officer Peter Filipovic said: “Beer lovers can now enjoy their favourite beers from the can without worrying about their damaging effect on the environment.

“Last year we made a commitment that 100 per cent of our products will be in packaging that is returnable or made from majority-recycled content by 2025. The decision to stop using plastic six-pack rings is a major step towards achieving that.”

Nelson Davie, 26, compares the old and new VB packs. Picture: Tony Gough

Shrink wrap on slabs of cans will also be ditched for cardboard cartons made of recyclable natural material.

CUB discontinued plastic six-pack rings at its Cascade brewery in Tasmania last year.

Its Brisbane brewery will also soon scrap them.

CUB brand beer cans have been sold with plastic packaging since the late 1960s.

The latest war on plastic follows action from a range of companies and many local council markets and fetes.

Supermarkets Coles and Woolworths axed free lightweight plastic bags, and growing numbers of pubs, other venues and airlines have banned plastic straws.

The Qantas Group aims to replace 45 million plastic cups, 30 million cutlery sets, 21 million coffee cups and four million headset covers used annually on flights and in lounges with sustainable alternatives by the end of next year.

McDonald’s and Starbucks are phasing out plastic straws by 2020.

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@KarenCollierHS