Caps and closures trends: SABIC lifts lid on product development priorities ahead of EU SUPD

11 Oct 2023 --- From next year under the EU Single Use Plastic Directive (SUPD), it will be mandatory for caps and lids to remain attached to beverage containers of up to three liters. This legislation has caused players in the packaging industry to adjust their solutions and promote environmental sustainability governed by regulation and consumer demand.

However, Innova Market Insights data suggests that less than 30% of global consumers are willing to compromise product convenience and handling to reduce the amount of plastic used in packaging. This poses challenges for packaging manufacturers to implement the tethered caps without compromising comfort.

We speak to SABIC’s Caps and Closures team about the caps it has introduced to the market in an era of environmental sustainability across the industry.

“The packaging producers need to comply with the EU tethered cap regulation by 2024 with minimum disturbance over the value chain and without increasing unit part weight and cost,” SABIC’s Caps and Closures team tells Packaging Insights.

Keeping things closed
The team explains how the company has been collaborating with numerous players across the packaging value chain, focusing on five key drivers in the market: waste reduction, the use of certified circular polymers, closed-loop solutions and ocean-bound plastic, the use of certified renewable feedstock and enhanced functionality and consumer appeal.

Beverages with caps will have to be tethered to the bottle beginning in July 2024. SABIC says there is a growing demand for eco-friendly caps and closure solutions designed to minimize the environmental impact of the packaging, use of recycled and renewable materials, increase recyclability, enhanced functionality and consumer appeal with features such as easy-to-open or close designs and single-serve portions.

“[We are] addressing the caps and closures industry challenges with extensive advanced material and technology solutions, signifying the feasibility of combining sustainability with durability and aesthetics,” says SABIC’s Caps and Closures team.

The chemical manufacturing company has created an injection molded cap with an organoleptic high-density PE (HDPE) food grade for tethered caps. SABIC asserts its tethered closure design for recycling meets the requirements of the incoming legislation.

The EU expects its requirement for tethered caps will prevent 10% of plastic litter from ending up on European beaches.

“Our products and examples align closely with SABIC’s Trucircle program and demonstrate how dedicated industrial partnerships are accelerating the journey toward real circularity without compromising product performance,” continues SABIC’s Caps and Closures team.

They assert that one of the most effective means of reducing waste is using durable yet lightweight monomaterial solutions and applications designed for recycling.

Beverage caps
SABIC is also working on its carbonated soft drink (CSD) caps. Improvements to environmental stress crack resistSABIC has created new closure solutions for skin care products.ance (ESCR) and physical properties like stiffness and impact strength facilitate extra lightweighting reductions in required processing temperatures.

The focus on physical properties for beverage closures is said to help processors save energy and cut cycle times. “And even better, organoleptic will address the need for caps that have no effect on the taste of packaging contents, which is especially important for bottled water,” says the team.

“The beverage industry’s ambition is to downgauge CSD caps without negative impact on ESCR performance, cycle time or end-user experience. SABIC HDPE CC027C/SL grades aim to address the increasing need for ESCR and organoleptic performance while complying with the food contact regulations required for CSD caps. It can help downgauging of caps, thus saving raw material use.”

Cosmetic solutions
SABIC has created cosmetic cream jars and lids for Beiersdorf’s Nivea Naturally Good range of day and night face creams, which are offered in jars manufactured with certified renewable PP resin from SABIC’s Trucircle portfolio, produced from bio-based feedstocks.

“Developed in close collaboration between Beiersdorf and SABIC, the application project was advanced from concept to implementation in nine months. According to Beiersdorf’s internal LCA study, approx. 76 g of CO2 are saved per jar produced, which represents a reduction of around 60% compared to the former fossil-based jar,” details SABIC’s Caps and Closures team.

SABIC has also crafted packaging for active charcoal masks in the cosmetics industry. The skin care company Origins’ new charcoal mask packaging will feature a tube and cap design using certified circular PE and PP from SABIC’s Trucircle portfolio.

Consumers say they are unwilling to reduce their plastic consumption if comfort is sacrificed.The solution was developed between The Estée Lauder Companies, packaging manufacturer Albéa and SABIC.

“It is considered a role model application for accelerating the change to a more circular economy in this market segment,” explains the team.

Consumer appeal and convenience
As indicated by Innova Market Insights data, most consumers are unwilling to compromise the function and convenience of their caps and closures to reduce plastic.

“Beyond [environmental] sustainability, consumers expect advanced new packaging products also to provide maximum aesthetic appeal and in-use convenience,” says the SABIC team.

SABIC has a dedicated Caps and Closures Technology and Innovation Center in its Global Technology Center in Geleen, the Netherlands, to produce closure solutions. The Caps and Closures team adds that the center demonstrates the company’s commitment to developing new materials and technologies dedicated to the industry.

“The state-of-the-art facility uses leading technologies aimed at a range of related applications and allows SABIC to simulate the real-life performance of finished products. Cap specimens can be produced in-house for performance testing for potential applications and developing improved materials.”

“To assist our customers with application design, development and process optimization, SABIC has a team of industry experts. Our Caps and Closures industry segment team can help select the most suitable materials and support to streamline and accelerate the transition into commercial production,” asserts the team.

By Sabine Waldeck