The Tied Cap Law, proposed in 2018 and adopted by the EU (European Union) in 2019 as part of the Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD, Single-Use Plastics Directive), came into force on July 3.
From that day on, single-use beverage containers of 3 liters or less with plastic caps and lids can only be sold on the EU market if the caps and lids remain attached to the containers during use and storage of the bottles’ contents.
When the bill was first publicized, various multinational corporations, including Coca-Cola, Danone, Nestlé and PepsiCo, strongly opposed the idea. They pointed out that such a requirement would require a huge amount of time, effort and investment, as new product designs, new molds and often new injection molding machines would be needed, so the task could not be implemented within the planned timeframe.
However, Coca-Cola partnered with packaging manufacturer Berry to introduce tethered lids a year and a half before the deadline.
Many manufacturers with tethered bottle caps entered the market during the year, but consumers began complaining on social media about the design. The most common complaint is that the cap hits the face when drinking, resulting in copious spills. Some consumers are tearing off the lids in desperation and posting clips on social media.
At the same time, not all tethered lids are the same. Some models feature a snap-on mechanism that ensures the cap stays in place in a horizontal position, preventing facial impacts. Swiss company Corvaglia was one of the first manufacturers to introduce this design.
The use of tethered caps has probably received the most media attention during this summer’s European soccer championships in Germany. Players are seen drinking from plastic bottles with attached caps during each break, often effortlessly placing the cap in the perfect position. As a result, the caps will not be scattered.
SUPD targets 10 single-use items most commonly found on European beaches, including fishing gear. The measure is expected to prevent the loss of 10% of plastic litter on European beaches, as well as encourage recycling of the lids along with their containers.
The European Commission asked the standardization body CEN to develop a standard governing the redesign of tethered lids. The standard had to be robust enough to ensure that caps and lids had appropriate strength, reliability and security while remaining attached to the beverage container during product use. Consideration was given to tooling design, cap weight and the cap manufacturing process, with brands, packaging manufacturers and equipment suppliers coming together to create compliant solutions.