The deadline is over: from today, all caps will be forever attached to bottles and briks.

This Wednesday, 3 July 2024, the rule that obliges brands to ensure that lids are not separated from the packaging during the entire shelf life of the product comes into force. Some brands have already been using this system for months, which consumers do not like.

Each producer has developed these new caps for their tetrabriks or bottles which, when unscrewed, remain anchored to the rest of the container by means of two small tabs.

Complaints about the design

This new closure method has been seen on some bottles and briks for some months now. Many brands have wanted to get ahead of the entry into force of the standard to test this new system, which has been met with quite a few complaints on social networks. Some because they have problems finding the way to open them, and others who criticise the fact that, when it comes to drinking on the nose, the cap sticks in their nose or face.

A couple of months ago, the issue went viral in several countries as a result of a joke sketch by comedian Eva Soriano, in which she complained that the new caps “are not inclusive”, that they do not respond to the diversity of noses in Europe and that, in addition, they make the consumers of these containers look ridiculous when drinking. It was all a joke, but in many countries that do not know the radio contributor, they took it seriously and even made it a trending topic, criticising the comedian as if she were serious.

But in between jokes, the truth emerges. And the truth is that part of what Eva Soriano said is shared by many of those who have already had to face the experience of drinking from these new containers. But there is nothing left to do but get used to these new closing and opening methods, which are now the official ones.

A novelty that is not very different from the one that once affected soft drink cans, which went from having a ring that separated from the container to another that remained anchored to it.

Why is the measure being taken?

All this is part of the European Union’s fight against certain plastic products in the environment. First there was the war against plastic straws and also against plastic cutlery, plates and cups; or the attempts to reduce the use of single-use bags or packaged food. Now it’s the turn of plastic bottle caps, which have been identified as some of the most common types of litter on European beaches…