The European mandate requires that plastic beverage containers be sold with lids that are designed to remain securely attached to the container by a hinge, effective June 3. The purpose of this “connected cap” is to prevent environmental pollution and to motivate consumers to recycle it in conjunction with the bottle after they have been both used.
The 2019 Single-Use Plastics Directive (Sup) includes the measure, which was implemented by Brussels. The directive prohibits the sale of single-use plastic products, such as plates, cutlery, straws, and cotton swabs, beginning in 2021. The directive’s schedule now mandates that the design requirements for caps and covers of single-use plastic beverage containers be implemented in July of this year in order to mitigate their environmental impact. The European Commission acknowledges in the directive that plastic caps and lids are among the most frequently discovered single-use plastic items on EU beaches. They are among the top five items discovered during beach cleanups and waste monitoring initiatives.
The environmental harm they inflict, both on land and at sea, is difficult to quantify; however, over the course of three decades, over 20 million bottle caps and lids have been discovered during beach cleanups worldwide. The requirements are applicable to plastic bottles and “composite packaging,” such as milk or beverage cartons, but they do not apply to glass containers. With an intermediate objective of 77% by 2025, EU countries are required to recycle up to 90% of single-use plastic bottles by 2029.
The move has its opposers. During the election campaign in Italy, League leader Matteo Salvini mocked the regulation by sharing an image of a man struggling to consume water because the cap was still attached, making it somewhat of a campaign issue. He classified it as part of Brussels’ “eco-madness.” Carlo Calenda, the leader of Azione, responded by posting a video titled “Instructions for opening a bottle, drinking, and sealing it again.” Salvini, you are capable of accomplishing this.
Rome continues to be scrutinized for its implementation of the directive as the regulation takes effect throughout Europe. At the end of May, the European Commission initiated an infringement procedure against Italy for failing to “fully and correctly” transpose the directive and for violating the obligations outlined in the single market transparency rules. Brussels is anticipating responses by the end of July, or it will pursue legal action.
