The EU Directive 2019/904 aims to prevent and reduce the impact of certain plastic products on the environment as well as to promote the transition to a circular economy with innovative and sustainable business models, products and materials. (see Article 1 of EU 2019/904). Article 6 of this directive specifies that single-use plastic products that have caps and lids made of plastic may be placed on the market only if the caps and lids remain attached to the containers during the products’ intended use stage.
Various beverage manufacturers have reacted to this and redesigned the caps of their plastic bottles so that they remain attached to the bottle as required. The beverage company ACQUA MINERALE SAN BENEDETTO SPA has developed a particularly ingenious design, which is it protected at least by means of an EU design (application number 008965917).
The first image below shows the product and the second image shows a figure from the design application.
Directives and laws can and often are the starting point of innovative technological developments, which are to be protected by corresponding property rights.
In any case, this directive has led, in my opinion, not only to a reduction in the environmental impact of plastic products, but also to the development of a variety of beautifully designed new bottle caps.
The bottle cap shown below is a particularly beautiful piece of engineering.
