The European Union is now championing a new wave of sustainability in the food and beverage space. The first thing on their agenda is single-use plastic’s life cycle in both food and beverage products. Directive (EU) 2019/904 laid out a clear timeline for the continent’s transition away from single-use plastic, especially for plastic beverage bottles.
In this article, Tan Do Beverage will help you understand how these changes can affect your business. And we’ll offer consultation and services to help you stay compliant, on time.
Tan Do Beverage’s tethered cap solution
Why are Tethered Caps mandatory in the EU?
Tethered caps are plastic bottle caps that stay connected to the cap’s security ring, even after being opened. The tethered caps will stay attached to the container during usage, meeting the EU’s requirement.
Article 6.1 of Directive (EU) 2019/904 clearly states that “single-use plastic products … may be placed on the market only if the caps and lids remain attached to the containers”. This means that plastic bottles with their caps and body separated will be banned from sales in the EU market starting July 2024.
This decision comes after the fact that 50% of marine litter include single-use plastic bottles and their caps, per the directive. The directive is meant to make plastic bottles and their caps easier to recycle at their end-of-life stage, and reduce plastic littering behaviors among consumers.
Parts of a tethered cap – Source: SACMI Group
What are the benefits of using tethered caps?
The use of tethered caps is meant to reduce plastic bottles’ environmental impacts, by:
- Discouraging littering behaviors of the caps on beaches and public space
- Allowing the caps and bottles to be recycled together at their end-of-life stage
- Reducing marine plastic waste via more efficient recycling
For consumers, tethered caps can make carrying the beverages more convenient. They reduce the chances of the caps being lost and make re-closing the drinks easier. Tethered caps can also provide a more interesting drinking experience.
For beverage companies, tethered caps are easy to integrate into their production lines. Most types of tethered caps are compatible with existing bottling machines and bottle closures. They also use the same material and manufacturing process as regular caps. Thus, there’s no need for drastic and costly machine modifications.
Want to produce a beverage with tethered caps? Book a consultation with our beverage experts to learn more!
The challenges of applying tethered caps to beverage companies
Tethered caps may still bring some inconveniences to companies and consumers. First and foremost, some consumers may find using tethered caps slightly uncomfortable.
These caps can poke their faces while drinking, causing discomfort. In addition, tethered caps can break after a number of uses. So customers have to pay attention to preserving them, causing more hassle during usage.
Manufacturers can also run into problems with implementing tethered caps. Not all types of tethered caps will be suitable to their existing bottle closures’ diameter and thread finish. In addition, the Directive is still relatively new, meaning there’s a limited number of capable suppliers. This makes sourcing and purchasing more time consuming and costly.
New types of tethered cap designs
Here are some of the newest tethered cap designs and mechanisms, offered by SACMI Group.
Attached Tethered Cap
For this type, the bottle cap is directly attached to the security neck ring. Once opened, the cap will not be securely held in place due to the lack of any support mechanism.
Attached tethered cap – Source: SACMI Group
Hinged Tethered Cap
This type of cap is directly attached to the ring, similar to the attached tethered cap. One key difference is that the attachment area has a hinge mechanism that can hold the cap in place.
Hinged tethered cap – Source: SACMI Group
Lasso Tethered Cap
This type of tethered cap is attached to the security ring by a thin strip of plastic. It can allow for more space at the bottle closure, so the cap won’t obstruct drinking/pouring.
Lasso tethered cap – Source: SACMI Group
Snap-on Tethered Cap
Snap-on tethered caps don’t use the twisting/threading mechanism to open like regular bottle caps. Rather, it can be snapped open/close via the lid mechanism. This type of tethered cap is more durable than the others thanks to a robust hinge design.
Hinged tethered cap – Source: SACMI Group
Sell your beverage in the EU with Tan Do’s tethered cap solution
Tan Do Beverage is a leading OEM/Private Label beverage manufacturer, based in Vietnam. With 25+ years of experience producing canned and bottled beverages, we can offer comprehensive and advanced outsourcing services to beverage companies.
In response to the new EU regulations, Tan Do Beverage has implemented high-quality, regulatory compliant Tethered Cap in producing bottled beverages. Our bottled drinks with tethered cap can guarantee the most cost-efficient pricings and compatibility with many trending beverages like: Fruit juice, Aloe vera drinks or Chia seeds Drinks.
Contact us now and discover the best tethered cap solution for your beverage!
Tan Do Beverage’s tethered cap solution