Are you one of those people who have recently bought milk and had to take a close look at the lid? This is because more and more manufacturers are switching to so-called tethered caps.
Have you also noticed recently that with more and more Tetra Paks, especially milk cartons, the screw cap is no longer removable? There is a specific reason for this: the EU's "Single-Use Plastic Ban" Directive (Single-Use Plastics Directive 2019/904) prohibits the use of certain types of single-use plastic and this screw cap falls right into this category.
Tethered caps – why the new closure on milk cartons?
The European Union (EU) has set itself the goal of recycling more plastic by 2030 and is planning numerous measures to achieve this. One of these measures concerns the lids of plastic bottles and Tetra Paks. In the future, these will have to remain attached to the bottle, as screw caps in particular are often thrown away (or lost) and end up in nature or in the sea instead of in plastic waste. For example, according to the consumer advice center, "a number of such lids have been found during investigations on the North Sea, more than 40, for example, on about 100 meters of beach." The consumer portal also writes that at least this type of garbage could be contained, because: "What gets stuck doesn't fly around in the area."
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When will the tethered caps officially start?
The deadline for the lids attached to the packaging, the so-called tethered caps, is July 3, 2024. However, the first companies have already rebuilt accordingly and started production. These include, for example, some products from the Coca-Cola Company, dairies such as Berchtesgadener Land or Landliebe as well as juice manufacturers such as Beckers Bester.
+Soon to be part of everyday life for consumers: caps that remain firmly attached to the Tetra-Pak or bottle (tethered caps, see photo). The deadline is actually July 3, 2024, but the first companies are already making the switch before that.
© Weingartner-Foto/Imago
By the way, do you know the difference between juice, nectar and fruit juice drink?
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Tethered caps are causing a lot of discussion online
On the various social media channels, the tethered caps provide a lot of potential for dispute. On Twitter, for example, you can find #tetheredcaps comments like the following under the search term:
- "The #tetheredcaps don't bother me. At first I was a little irritated, but now the lid of the bottle does not fall on the bottom 😆 "
- "I don't like #PET bottles with #VerbundenenDeckel #TetheredCaps [...]. They hang around stupidly, press against the nose, interfere ... They will be mandatory in #Europa #EU from 2024. I guess I'll use my strength and tear it off. I always screw the bottles shut anyway!"
- "The angry tweets about the #tetheredcaps are really the funniest thing in a long time. From cutting out eyes to inserting side cutters, everything is included. And, of course, THE GREENS! 😂 Thank you EU, for this content fireworks about bottle caps."
This article was created with the help of machines and carefully reviewed by editor Anna Heyers before publication.
Category list image: © Weingartner-Foto/Imago