People have been complaining about the short plastic caps on milk and other containers. Better options are coming.
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SAN FRANCISCO – The small annoyances of American drink interactions may be getting a little less frustrating.
The short, thin plastic caps that have become popular on cartons of milk, juice and other liquids over the past few years are good for the environment, but can be frustratingly difficult to open. Who wants to go through the trouble of putting on a cap first thing in the morning?
A new version of these caps from an Illinois company is starting to hit stores. Its design makes the top a little less cumbersome by increasing the height of the top and spacing out the ribs.
“It’s knurling,” says Fred Walden of New Berlin, Wis., who recently noticed a difference. “It’s just easier to open.”
“Knurling?” you ask. yes. It is a textured pattern of lines along the plastic cap of the carton. Plus, it’s a little taller than others that are a pain to open, making it easier to twist.
“You can get a good grip,” Walden said. “You can put your thumb and finger on the cap, and when you turn the cap, the knurling helps it turn.”
Americans consume about 5 million gallons of milk each year, and about 17% of that is sold in traditional cartons. This includes juices, non-dairy milks, soups and other liquids in what the beverage industry calls “gable-top” packaging.
Almost every product has a nifty plastic cap that you twist off, a miracle of modern packaging, but the closure has become shorter, thinner, and harder to open.
Why is it difficult to open milk cartons?
Manufacturers and food distributors in the multibillion-dollar plastic food packaging industry are facing increasing pressure from consumers and environmental health activists to design containers that are more environmentally sustainable and healthier.
Over the past decade, American food and beverage companies have made great strides in reducing the amount of plastic used in the packaging of their products. This has resulted in some good things for the industry. Less plastic is needed., By making items lighter, we saved on transportation costs and also reduced our carbon footprint.
Andrew Dillon, a professor at the University of Texas, said companies “want to make something that is safe, sealable, portable and affordable.” “But tradeoffs can be difficult. Tradeoffs can be difficult,” Dillon said.
Unfortunately, many of the first versions of short, lightweight “fittings” (as the entire plastic spout is called) for milk bottles and other packaging are difficult to open, USA TODAY reported in December. This article seems to have struck a nerve with readers.
“Eco-friendly” lightweight equipment cap uses less plastic. But they are about 1/3 inch, The older, heavier version, on the other hand, was almost half an inch. that‘s It becomes difficult to loosen the screws.
“I had to use a pipe wrench to open it,” said Walden, a former U.S. Coast Guard contract employee. He and his wife keep pliers in their kitchen drawer for wrestling with opposing caps.
But there is hope for those suffering from the early morning “I want to open a milk carton and eat cereal” blues.
Silgan Closures, Downers Grove, Illinois, recently developed a new spout and cap combination that uses less plastic but is the same height as the old one.
Light and easy to open cap
You might not think that a simple milk spout would require years of testing and design, but it did.
Silgan began exploring its design several years ago. First, engineers tried to design a closure that was half the height of previous versions. They were not satisfied with the initial results.
After many iterations over several years, Silgan’s engineers found something they were happy with. It is a regular height cap with thinner walls and therefore less weight. The spaced ridge, or knurling, design on the cap also had the happy side effect of making it more noticeable. And that makes it easier to grip.
Marketing Director AJ Miller said of the design team, “We put it in the hands of consumers, opened it, and told them what they thought. That helped us narrow down the good designs.” “Then we had people use it in their homes and give us feedback. All of this was done over a three-year period.”
The result is the Silgan F15 cap.
good design wins
“It looks good,” said Alastair Yoxall, professor of packaging ergonomics at Sheffield Hallam University in the UK. “If it’s much easier and we use less plastic, it’s a win-win.”
New caps are starting to appear across the country, but in a haphazard manner. If you reach into a case of milk or beverages at the supermarket, you’re likely to find several different types of caps, sometimes even for the same brand of milk or other beverages.
Elizabeth Wiese, president of Silgan Closures, said: “We are excited by the positive customer and consumer response to the F15 fitment.”
Fred Walden of Wisconsin is happy that he doesn’t have to constantly pull pliers out of his kitchen drawer.
“I know it sounds crazy, but I’m not a weak person,” he said. “But when you grab (the new cap), you can grip it a little more firmly. And when you turn it, the knurling helps you turn it.”
