Tethered closures have quickly moved from regulation to reality. Introduced under the EU Single Use Plastics Directive, they are now standard across all under three litre single use packaging throughout Europe.
For bottlers, contract manufacturers and own-label suppliers, the challenge is no longer simply compliance. It is finding closure solutions that run reliably on high-speed lines, meet brand requirements of design and quality, and can be sourced with confidence throughout the year.
This is where Viscose, the Swansea-based plastic closure specialist, is seeing strong growth.
With decades of experience supplying the food and beverage sectors across the UK, Viscose has built its reputation on reliability, flexibility and strong relationships across the packaging supply chain. Today, one of the most dynamic areas of the business is tethered closures, supplied in partnership with global packaging manufacturer RETAL.
Sustainable by design
Tethered closures were introduced to improve recycling outcomes by ensuring that caps remain attached to bottles after opening. As sustainability expectations continue to grow across the beverage sector, closures are becoming an increasingly visible part of packaging design.
By combining UK market knowledge with RETAL’s global manufacturing capability, Viscose offers beverage producers a reliable route to compliant closure supply. Working together allows Viscose to supply a wide range of tethered closure solutions designed specifically for beverage applications. These closures combine compliance with European legislation and the practical performance requirements of bottling operations. The portfolio includes both standard and bespoke tethered caps, with colour matching and design flexibility available to support brand identity.
Viscose also works closely with customers to ensure that closure solutions support both regulatory compliance and wider sustainability objectives. Viscose Managing Director Emma Blackmore explains, “We’re constantly evaluating our portfolio to make sure it reflects what our customers want and need. Part of that is of course staying in line with the changing regulations that impact on our business and our customers’ businesses; we only ever want to make life easier for them, so we’re all about delivering on our promise to ‘protect your product, enhance your brand’. Our tethered closures from RETAL help us achieve that by supporting the safety and integrity of the beverages in an eco-friendly way.”
Flexible strength
One of Viscose’s key strengths is its ability to support beverage producers of very different sizes. While some customers require large-volume supply for high-speed production, others are smaller or emerging brands producing more limited runs.
Viscose can supply closures in quantities ranging from small box volumes for artisan producers through to full truckload deliveries for larger bottlers, white-label producers and contract manufacturers. Emma Blackmore adds, “We like to say yes! We have a direct dialogue with our customers and we’re always happy to chat with brands of any size that are considering a new UK packaging supplier. By staying flexible and having an easy-to-use webshop, we’re able to respond quickly, whether it’s a bespoke colour matching or a standard product. You never know what’s going to be the next big thing, so we take care to look after every customer.”
This flexibility is particularly valuable in the drinks sector, where demand can fluctuate significantly during the year. Summer peaks for soft drinks, bottled water and functional beverages can place sudden pressure on packaging supply chains. Viscose’s agile approach allows customers to scale supply quickly when demand increases.
Strong leadership and a collaborative team
Viscose’s growth is also closely tied to Emma Blackmore’s leadership, who has built her career within the company and is widely respected across the team.
Having worked her way up through the business, she combines industry experience with a hands-on leadership style that emphasises collaboration and practical problem solving. She continues, “I’m a very hands-on MD and I know my team so well. We bring out the best in each other, and I am sure that our customers can feel the difference.”
Viscose continues to expand its closure portfolio and strengthen its role within the UK beverage packaging supply chain. As packaging legislation evolves and sustainability expectations continue to grow, beverage producers increasingly rely on partners who understand both the technical and commercial realities of the industry.
With a growing tethered closure portfolio, a strong partnership with RETAL and a reputation for flexibility, Viscose is well positioned to support the UK beverage sector as it adapts to the next phase of packaging innovation.