Plastic 'Cans' With Metal Tops Suck: Here’s Why

It’s not so clear-cut what the best material is for beverage containers. 

Aluminum and glass are easily recyclable, but they require a lot of energy to produce, and extracting the raw materials damages the environment. Glass is also heavy, and there’s that whole issue of increased emissions. Plastic requires oil, and while recyclable, it still often ends up in our oceans and waterways, and degrades into harmful microplastics. Paper bottles are emerging as an interesting alternative, though some have a plastic lining that makes them difficult to recycle, and they haven’t reached widespread adoption.

One container format, however, might unequivocally be the worst option. A beverage packaging that combines the drawbacks of several materials, which is incredibly hard to recycle to boot.