From Tuesday, only plastic bottles with caps attached will be allowed in trade. This is covered by the European Union (EU) Directive on limiting environmental damage from plastic products and the Plastic Reduction Act. It is hoped that the attached cap will make people less likely to throw them away, since this would mean throwing away the bottle along with it. Manufacturers can henceforth only put drinks packaging on the market if the plastic caps cannot be separated from the packaging for the entire lifespan her services. This provision does not apply to beverage packaging with metal lids or lids with plastic seals. Also, from now on, drinks can be put on the market in single-use plastic or composite packaging of up to three liters, provided that the drink packaging contains at least 30% recycled plastic. The new system with the caps attached is reported to be quite simple. Instead of the usual caps that unscrew completely, there are additional strips of plastic connecting the cap to the bottle. The new rules were first announced in 2018. Coca-Cola was an early adopter of this change, rolling it out across Europe over the past year. The new plastic caps are just one of a number of measures being taken by the EU. Packaging for fresh fruit and vegetables, toiletries in hotels and fast food items in restaurants will soon be banned under legislation passed in March.
