BETTINA MECKEL-WOLF
Leading packaging solutions provider Berry Global says high performance, robust solutions and intuitive functionality will be crucial to achieving full consumer buy-in to tethered closures for plastic bottles, which have now become mandatory throughout the European Union and have been increasingly adopted in the UK.
Consumer research firm Watch Me Think independently asked consumers to test a range of tethered closures and Berry’s solutions stood out as user-friendly, functional and comfortable caps that consumers love.
The tethered closure legislation, which came into force in June last year and is part of the EU’s Single Use Plastics Directive, requires plastic bottle caps to remain attached to containers up to three litres in size after opening. Although not a legal requirement in the UK, drinks manufacturers are adopting a standard closure across all markets for ease of production and simplified logistics.
As one of Europe’s largest plastics recyclers, Berry recognises the value of recovering the entire pack, since the cap represents a significant part of the total weight of the package. The adoption of tethered closures will therefore help to increase recycling and reduce littering and waste.
While this change to tethered closures has been recognised by the beverage industry and consumers for its sustainability benefits, not all tethered designs are equal in terms of their convenience and functionality.
“Consumer feedback has made it very clear that tethered closures should not impede the drinking experience. All our designs ensure that the closure opens to a wide angle and clicks into place to keep it away from the face. It is then also easy to replace it on the top of the bottle for reclosing,” said Vincent Clauzel, EVP Food, Beverage and Specialities, at Berry’s Consumer Packaging International division.
The SUP legislation for tethered closures represented a once in a lifetime opportunity for closure suppliers to optimise their product portfolio with the next generation of designs – an opportunity that Berry seized with both hands.
Berry invested in development and tooling to make tethered closures a viable reality, and continues to invest to ensure its closures meet the demands of customers and consumers. This currently comprises four families of closures, designed for specific products and applications, including still waters, juices, carbonated soft drinks, and sports drinks. Berry is now working on further designs for additional end-markets in order to offer a comprehensive range of tethered closure solutions for customers.
“With our global reach and wide-ranging design and manufacturing capabilities, we are ideally placed to support our customers on a national and international level, ensuring both product quality and supply chain resilience,” said Vincent Clauzel.
“Tethered closures are an innovative, forward-thinking circular packaging solution, but they must remain practical and user-friendly.”
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