Delete
This is how all plastic bottle tops in Spain will be replaced next month
Recycling

This is how all plastic bottle tops in Spain will be replaced next month

The required change has a particular reason that Malaga city council explained on social media

Friday, 21 June 2024, 16:46

You have probably already noticed it by now. For months now, many of the plastic bottles and cartons we use the tops are impossible to remove. This is a new packaging design - legally mandated - which is now facing a red-letter deadline marked on the calendar: 3 July. From then on, all tops for containers up to 3 litres - without exception - must be permanently attached to the product, marking the end of the ability to remove screw caps (and complicating the ability to drink directly from the bottle).

But what is the point of this? The origin can be traced back to the Spanish law 7/2022 on waste and contaminated soils, aimed at achieving a sustainable economy. The city council of Malaga, through the social media profile of its municipal cleaning company (Limasam), has also provided an explanation. "The attachment of bottle tops complies with several European Union and national regulations designed to reduce the environmental impact of waste."

This regulation is based on a 2019 European directive that requires most tops to be permanently connected to their bottles, in order to ensure that the top is recycled together with the rest of the container.

The measure was first applied in Spain in October 2022 by brands such as Central Lechera Asturiana. However, companies still had more than a year and a half to adapt to the regulation. Specifically, until 3 July 2024, when the European Waste Law will come into force.

The eco-design seeks to reduce the environmental impact of products throughout their life cycle, from their conception. In this case, the top attached to the bottle or carton is called an 'attached closure', and it has required industrial engineering solutions that brands have been adapting in recent months.

Esta funcionalidad es exclusiva para registrados.

Reporta un error en esta noticia

* Campos obligatorios

surinenglish This is how all plastic bottle tops in Spain will be replaced next month