Berry, Coca-Cola collaborate to implement tethered caps in EU markets

After winning a prestigious sustainability award at PACK EXPO International last month for this circular solution, Berry Global Group is the first plastic packaging manufacturer in Europe to supply The Coca-Cola Company with a lightweight, tethered closure for its carbonated soft drinks in PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles. Bolstered by the European Union (EU) Single-Use Plastics Directive, Berry’s new tethered closure for Coca-Cola is designed to remain intact with the bottle – making it less likely to be littered and more likely to be recycled.

Over 400 million closures have been successfully applied to date on Coca-Cola bottling lines in Germany, Spain, and the UK, with the rollout to continue to the company’s other European plants.

“Innovation in packaging design is key to helping our customers meet their ambitious sustainability goals while delivering attractive, functional solutions that meet and exceed constantly evolving market demands,” said Thierry Bernet, vice president - Circular Economy & Innovation, Berry Global. “Because PET bottles are the most recycled plastic package type, this collaboration has tremendous potential to help keep resources in use and out of our environment.”

EU Directive 2019/204 requires plastic beverage bottles up to three liters in size to have closures that remain attached to the container throughout their intended use from July 2024. And this collaboration helps progress Coca-Cola’s goal to make 100% of its packaging recyclable globally by 2025.

Maintaining a convenient and comfortable user experience, in addition to product safety and security, Berry’s new tethered closure for Coca-Cola features a special tamper-evident band that, once broken, does not impact the closure's ability to remain attached and is positioned out of the way for drinking but can easily be reclosed. When open, it provides a wide angle for easy access to the beverage and comfortable on-the-go drinking.

Berry’s closure for Coca-Cola is based on its patented CompactFlip hinge solution. It is the first to be used in conjunction with the new lightweight 26mm GME30.40 neck, developed by the Cetie (The International Technical Centre for Bottling) Single-Use Plastics Group, of which Berry is a member. The new neck finish delivers an over 1g saving in PET compared to the current PCO-1881 neck. Combined with a 10% weight reduction from the Berry closure, the new pack is now around 20% lighter than the PCO-1881 version.