Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Unpackit Awards?
The Unpackit Awards are a nationwide search to uncover the best and worst packaging in Australia – and inspire positive change.
Australians care about our environment. By shining a light on the smartest, most sustainable packaging designs, alongside the most wasteful or unnecessary, the Awards will celebrate innovation, highlight opportunities for improvement, and drive Australia’s shift away from disposable packaging.
The Awards are a collaboration between the Australian Marine Conservation Society, Plastic Free Foundation and WWF-Australia.
What is ‘good’ packaging?
Good packaging is designed with the environment and practicality in mind. It protects products efficiently, uses minimal material, and is easy to reuse and refill – with systems in place to collect and process it at the end of its life.
Features of good packaging include:
- Designed for reuse and refill, and for recycling at the end of its life
- Uses materials that are widely accepted in local recycling systems
- Avoids unnecessary layers, mixed materials, or components that can’t be recovered
- Is made from recycled and responsibly sourced materials
- Supports waste avoidance through refillable or returnable systems
- Helps prevent pollution and harm to ocean and wildlife by reducing the amount of disposable packaging produced.
Ultimately, good packaging helps prevent waste before it’s created, reduces the risk of litter and marine pollution, and supports the transition toward a circular economy.
What is ‘bad’ packaging?
Bad packaging is excessive, confusing, or difficult to dispose of responsibly. It often uses multiple or non-recyclable materials, making it hard or impossible to recycle — even when it looks like it should be.
Common examples of bad packaging include:
- Mixed materials that serve no purpose and can’t be separated (e.g. foil-lined pouches, plastic-coated paper)
- Excessive packaging around small or low-risk products
- Single-use plastics that can be avoided or have reusable alternatives
- Misleading or vague environmental claims (e.g. ‘eco’, ‘green’ or ‘compostable’ without evidence)
- Packaging that can easily end up as litter or marine pollution
- Designs that shift the responsibility onto consumers, rather than producers.
In short, bad packaging is wasteful, misleading, or unnecessary — and doesn’t support Australia’s move toward a circular economy.
What is the goal of the Awards?
The Awards aim to accelerate Australia’s transition to a circular economy for packaging where items are designed to be reused and refilled.
By highlighting both the best and worst examples of packaging, we want to:
- Encourage businesses to reduce unnecessary packaging and design smarter alternatives
- Empower Australians to be part of the packaging revolution
- Showcase real solutions and innovations that work
- Inform policy recommendations and national packaging reform
The Awards shift the focus to the higher priorities in the waste hierarchy — Avoid, Reduce, and Reuse.
Who is running the Awards?
The Unpackit Awards is a partnership between the Australian Marine Conservation Society, Plastic Free Foundation, and WWF-Australia, who share a commitment to tackling plastic pollution, promoting biodiversity, implementing circular economy solutions, and empowering Australians to take action on packaging waste.
Who can participate in the Awards?
Everyone in Australia is invited to take part! Councils, NGOs and community groups are encouraged to to spread the word and help get others involved.
What type of packaging can I nominate?
Any packaging available in Australia (in stores or online) including:
- Food and drink containers (including at an event or venue)
- Cosmetics and personal care products
- Household items and electronics
- Shipping and e-commerce packaging
We’re looking for the best and worst examples. This could mean packaging that’s cleverly designed for reuse or packaging that’s excessive, unnecessary and often ends up as litter in our environment.
You can even nominate products that don’t have packaging at all, or businesses that offer reusable or refillable options. These are the types of smart solutions that we want to celebrate.
How is the packaging judged for the Awards?
All nominations will be reviewed using evidence-based criteria developed by an expert panel.
The panel includes specialists from across the packaging supply chain – from design and production, to disposal and pollution prevention.
Each nomination will be assessed against pre-established criteria using waste hierarchy principles (design, avoid, reduce, reuse, recycle, dispose) to recognise businesses that are leading and those that are lagging.
Based on this criteria, a judging panel – including experts and representatives from project partners – will select the finalists and ultimate winners.
When will the winners be announced?
The winner will be announced in early 2026. Nominations are open until Sunday 4 January. Once nominations close, finalists will be shortlisted using pre-established criteria. The judging panel will select finalists and the ultimate winners. Updates will be shared via the project partners’ websites and social media channels.
Why are you targeting packaging?
Packaging is a major source of waste and contributes to plastic pollution in Australia.
By focusing on packaging, the Awards help drive change where it’s most visible and impactful. They encourage businesses to move beyond recycling and toward the higher levels of the waste hierarchy: Avoid, Reduce, and Reuse.
By celebrating innovation and calling out excess, we can empower people, influence business decisions, and help Australia transition to a circular economy for packaging.
I don’t know how to answer some of the questions
That’s okay – packaging can be tricky (even for experts!). Just provide as much detail as you can, and upload a clear photo. Every nomination helps us build a better picture of what’s working – and what’s not.
What type of photo do I upload?
A clear photo of the whole packaging is best. Try to show any labels about reuse, recycling or disposal and the barcode (if there is one). This will help the judges accurately assess how the packaging performs against our criteria.
Can I nominate more than once?
Yes! You are welcome to nominate multiple examples of both the best and worst packaging.
The more nominations we receive, the better we can understand packaging pitfalls, people’s frustrations, and celebrate great design that’s making a real difference.
How do I know if packaging can be genuinely recycled
The best place to check is your local council’s waste and recycling guide or website – recycling rules differ between areas.
You can also look for the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) on packaging which provides information on how to dispose each component of the packaging.
What happens to my data?
Your privacy matters. The data will be stored electronically in Australia and only used to help analyse packaging trends, award the winners, and inform recommendations for positive change.