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Plastic Resins for Caps and Closures Application

Growth in the beverage and food industry rapidly drives the demand for polyethylene, polypropylene, and resins for beverage caps and closures.

The trend in beverage packaging is to down-gauge with lightweight and standard short neck closures. The use of lightweight closures is spreading through the beverage industry which is aiming to use less polymer but still retain all the performance characteristics of standard caps and closures. The application typically requires a balance of toughness and stiffness, combined with easy processability, and excellent organoleptic properties, particularly for beverage applications which include, still water, pasteurized water and carbonated soft drinks (CSD).

Round closures with female thread that can be screwed onto a bottle.

Key Features:

- Superior

- Saving

- Reduce

- Recyclable

Outstanding highlights:

- High ESCR, Stress Cracking Resistance performance

- Low odor and taste transfer in beverages

- Easy for cap opening/ closing

- Fulfill sustainability trend through lightweight and recyclability features

- Allowing Caps easily return to recycling system.

- Compatable with Injection molding and Compression molding

Round closures with female thread that can be screwed onto a bottle.

Key Features:

- Superior

- Saving

- Reduce

- Recyclable

Outstanding highlights:

- High ESCR, Stress Cracking Resistance performance

- Low odor and taste transfer in beverages

- Easy for cap opening/ closing

- Fulfill sustainability trend through lightweight and recyclability features

- Allowing Caps easily return to recycling system.

- Compatable with Injection molding and Compression molding

Round closures with female thread that can be screwed onto a bottle.

Key Features:

- Superior

- Saving

- Reduce

- Recyclable

Outstanding highlights:

- High ESCR, Stress Cracking Resistance performance

- Low odor and taste transfer in beverages

- Easy for cap opening/ closing

- Fulfill sustainability trend through lightweight and recyclability features

- Allowing Caps easily return to recycling system.

- Compatable with Injection molding and Compression molding

Round closures with female thread that can be screwed onto a bottle.

Key Features:

- Superior

- Saving

- Reduce

- Recyclable

Outstanding highlights:

- High ESCR, Stress Cracking Resistance performance

- Low odor and taste transfer in beverages

- Easy for cap opening/ closing

- Fulfill sustainability trend through lightweight and recyclability features

- Allowing Caps easily return to recycling system.

- Compatable with Injection molding and Compression molding

As packaging technology advances, developing eco-friendly solutions has become essential for achieving sustainability. One such innovation is the tethered cap—a bottle cap designed to stay attached to the bottle after opening. This solution helps mitigate the environmental impact of loosing plastic caps, which often end up as litter in landfill, oceans and waterways, threatening ecosystems and marine life.

What Is a Tethered Cap?

A tethered cap is a new type of bottle closure engineered to remain attached to the bottle even after opening. Using a specialized hinge or connecting band, the cap stays connected throughout its lifecycle. This design was developed in response to the European Union’s Single-Use Plastics Directive, which mandates that all plastic beverage bottles up to 3 liters sold in EU countries must feature tethered caps by July 2024.

In Thailand, several manufacturers have already adopted the tethered cap standard to demonstrate environmental responsibility and prepare for market expansion into Europe. Beyond compliance, tethered caps offer practical environmental benefits by reducing plastic waste and improving recyclability.

 

What Are the Advantages of Tethered Caps?

1. Reduces Plastic Waste in the Environment

One of the primary tethered cap advantages is its role in cutting down loose plastic caps that often pollute rivers, beaches and oceans. Since the cap remains attached to the bottle, it's more likely to be disposed of and recycled properly, helping reduce contamination in natural ecosystems.

2. Enhances Recycling Efficiency

By ensuring the cap is not discarded separately, tethered caps streamline the recycling process. Bottles with attached caps are easier to collect and sort, increasing the overall recycling rate of both components and reducing labor and operational steps in waste management systems.

3. Lowers Carbon Footprint

Manufactured using advanced plastic resins, tethered caps are typically thinner but maintain durability. This reduces the amount of plastic required, helping lower greenhouse gas emissions across the product lifecycle. Additionally, keeping the cap and bottle together simplifies collection and sorting during recycling, saving energy and resources.

4. User-Friendly and Eco-Conscious Design

Despite being a new format, tethered caps are designed to be intuitive and easy to use—openable with one hand and requiring minimal changes to consumer behavior. They offer both environmental and ergonomic benefits without compromising convenience.

5. Improved Convenience for Consumers

Tethered caps eliminate the hassle of losing bottle caps, especially during outdoor activities or travel. The design offers the same ease of opening and closing as traditional caps, ensuring a user-friendly experience.

How to Use a Tethered Cap

Using a tethered cap is simple. Twist the cap to open it as you normally would—the cap remains attached via a flexible yet durable plastic band. You can drink without interference, then push the cap back and twist to reseal. Designed for ease and familiarity, tethered caps allow for a smooth transition from traditional designs.

Resin Technology from GC Polymer Solution

GC offers high-quality plastic resin for bottle cap production under the InnoPlus by GC brand, specifically the HDPE Caps & Closures grade. This resin is engineered for tethered cap manufacturing and features outstanding technical properties—strength, durability, lightweight, and balanced opening torque for easy use.

The InnoPlus HDPE Cap resin has also passed organoleptic testing, ensuring it does not affect the taste or smell of beverages. This helps preserve product quality and freshness, addressing the needs of both producers and consumers.

How to Use a Tethered Cap 

Using a tethered cap is simple. Twist the cap to open it as you normally would—the cap remains attached via a flexible yet durable plastic band. You can drink without interference, then push the cap back and twist to reseal. Designed for ease and familiarity, tethered caps allow for a smooth transition from traditional designs.

GC: Thailand’s Pioneer in Tethered Cap Innovation

The Future of Sustainable Packaging

The future of bottle cap technology is moving toward sustainability. Tethered caps are just the beginning. Future innovations may include caps made from Renewable Feedstock HDPE or high-percentage recycled plastics. Collaboration between manufacturers and consumers will be key in reducing plastic waste and driving these innovations forward.

For Thailand’s beverage industry, especially those eyeing exports to Europe, adopting tethered cap standards is both a strategic necessity and a chance to align with international sustainability benchmarks.

Tethered caps are a forward-thinking solution that balances environmental impact with user convenience. In particular, HDPE Caps from InnoPlus by GC are crafted using cutting-edge technology to meet global regulations and support a greener marketplace.

If you are a beverage or bottle manufacturer seeking reliable resin for tethered cap production, InnoPlus by GC—Thailand’s leading polymer producer—offers the ideal solution. Fill out the form to be contacted by a GC representative.

Reference:

Spain to Enforce EU Tethered Cap Rule Starting July 3, 2024. Retrieved April 8, 2025, from https://www.ditp.go.th/post/168133 

 

Round closures with female thread that can be screwed onto a bottle.

Key Features:

- Superior

- Saving

- Reduce

- Recyclable

Outstanding highlights:

- High ESCR, Stress Cracking Resistance performance

- Low odor and taste transfer in beverages

- Easy for cap opening/ closing

- Fulfill sustainability trend through lightweight and recyclability features

- Allowing Caps easily return to recycling system.

- Compatable with Injection molding and Compression molding

Bottle cap designed to remain attached to the bottle. Allows Cap to return to recycling system

Key Features:

- Superior

- Saving

- Reduce

- Recyclable

Outstanding highlights:

- High ESCR, Stress Cracking Resistance performance

- Low odor and taste transfer in beverages

- Easy for cap opening/ closing

- Fulfill sustainability trend through lightweight and recyclability features

- Allowing Caps easily return to recycling system. 

- Compatable with Injection molding and Compression molding

Closures requiring pull or thumb push action to allow the valve to open and water to flow through.

Key Features:

- Superior

- Saving

- Reduce

- Recyclable

Outstanding highlights:

- High ESCR, Stress Cracking Resistance performance

- Low odor and taste transfer in beverages

- Easy for cap opening/ closing

- Fulfill sustainability trend through lightweight and recyclability features

- Allowing Caps easily return to recycling system. 

- Compatable with Injection molding and Compression molding

Round closures with female thread that can be screwed onto a bottle.

Key Features:

- Superior

- Saving

- Reduce

- Recyclable

Outstanding highlights:

- High ESCR, Stress Cracking Resistance performance

- Low odor and taste transfer in beverages

- Easy for cap opening/ closing

- Fulfill sustainability trend through lightweight and recyclability features

- Allowing Caps easily return to recycling system.

- Compatable with Injection molding and Compression molding

GC taken part in ProPak Asia 2025 at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC), where the Plastics Institute of Thailand honoured the company to serve as a keynote speaker in the seminar titled “Technological Innovations to Enhance Materials and Production Processes for Sustainable Rigid Packaging,” held on June 13, 2025.

In this seminar, GC highlighted its role as a plastic resin producer committed to driving innovation toward sustainable packaging. The company presented high-quality plastic resins with specific properties developed to reduce environmental impact and support the circular economy in tangible ways. Featured products included high-quality post-consumer recycled resin (PCR), bio-based plastic resin, plastic resin for mono-material pouch application, and X-PURGE by GC, a purging compound that effectively removes plastic residue and minimises material loss during machine cleaning processes.

The seminar also featured speakers from the Plastics Institute of Thailand, who presented on “Landscape and Rigid Packaging Trends,” offering insights into the global packaging industry landscape, current challenges, and emerging trends relevant to Thai manufacturers. In addition, a representative from Piovan Group shared expertise in the session titled “Piovan’s Technologies and Innovations for Efficient and Sustainable Rigid Packaging Production,” inspiring innovative approaches to production process optimisation.

On this occasion, GC was also invited by business partners—Aegis Packaging Plt. Ltd. and Mahathanee Industrial Co., Ltd.—to co-present information of sustainable packaging solutions at their booths. GC’s products featured included flexible packaging materials and innovative plastic resin for beverage caps, reflecting a collaborative value chain approach toward sustainability.

GC’s participation in ProPak Asia 2025 reaffirms the company’s leadership in delivering innovative plastic solutions with a strong commitment to environmental and social responsibility, while actively supporting the Thai industrial sector in advancing production standards toward a truly sustainable future.

Round closures with female thread that can be screwed onto a bottle.

Key Features:

- Superior

- Saving

- Reduce

- Recyclable

Outstanding highlights:

- High ESCR, Stress Cracking Resistance performance

- Low odor and taste transfer in beverages

- Easy for cap opening/ closing

- Fulfill sustainability trend through lightweight and recyclability features

- Allowing Caps easily return to recycling system.

- Compatable with Injection molding and Compression molding

Round closures with female thread that can be screwed onto a bottle.

Key Features:

- Superior

- Saving

- Reduce

- Recyclable

Outstanding highlights:

- High ESCR, Stress Cracking Resistance performance

- Low odor and taste transfer in beverages

- Easy for cap opening/ closing

- Fulfill sustainability trend through lightweight and recyclability features

- Allowing Caps easily return to recycling system.

- Compatable with Injection molding and Compression molding

Round closures with female thread that can be screwed onto a bottle.

Key Features:

- Superior

- Saving

- Reduce

- Recyclable

Outstanding highlights:

- High ESCR, Stress Cracking Resistance performance

- Low odor and taste transfer in beverages

- Easy for cap opening/ closing

- Fulfill sustainability trend through lightweight and recyclability features

- Allowing Caps easily return to recycling system.

- Compatable with Injection molding and Compression molding

Round closures with female thread that can be screwed onto a bottle.

Key Features:

- Superior

- Saving

- Reduce

- Recyclable

Outstanding highlights:

- High ESCR, Stress Cracking Resistance performance

- Low odor and taste transfer in beverages

- Easy for cap opening/ closing

- Fulfill sustainability trend through lightweight and recyclability features

- Allowing Caps easily return to recycling system.

- Compatable with Injection molding and Compression molding

Bottle cap designed to remain attached to the bottle. Allows Cap to return to recycling system

Key Features:

- Superior

- Saving

- Reduce

- Recyclable

Outstanding highlights:

- High ESCR, Stress Cracking Resistance performance

- Low odor and taste transfer in beverages

- Easy for cap opening/ closing

- Fulfill sustainability trend through lightweight and recyclability features

- Allowing Caps easily return to recycling system. 

- Compatable with Injection molding and Compression molding