Berry Global Group announced a collaborative project with Coca-Cola that will consist of providing the beverage maker with tethered caps, which will make them less likely to be littered and more likely to be recycled.

To this point, over 400 million tethered caps have been applied on Coca-Cola bottling lines in Germany, Spain, and the UK, and the project is expected to expand into other European countries as well.

“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,” says Thierry Bernet, VP of circular economy & innovation at 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.”

The new closure solution features a tamper-evident band that can be reclosed once broken, and when open, it provides a wide angle for easy access to the beverage. The reimagined cap is intended to keep a convenient and comfortable user experience, while also placing a premium on product safety and security.

Given EU Directive 2019/204, a statute that requires plastic beverage bottles up to 3 liters in size to have tethered closures throughout their intended use from July 2024, Coca-Cola says it has taken the opportunity to embrace these new regulations as part of the company’s goal to make its packaging 100% recyclable by 2025.