Tetra Pak tethered caps certified as "easy to use"

after tests by the Rheumatism Association

• The Swedish Rheumatism Association has tested Tetra Pak tethered cap packages. They are certified as easy to use for everyone.
• The certification is unique and based on product testing by people with impaired hand function.

Lund, 23rd of January 2024: All of the Tetra Pak tethered cap packages - 18 products so far - tested by the Swedish Rheumatism Association in 2022 and 2023 have received the Easy to Use certification. The test is a scientifically developed method; to be approved, the product must be easy to open, use, and reseal.

Under the new EU Single-Use Plastic (SUP) Directive, all single-use beverage containers made with plastic must have caps and lids fixed to the packaging. The aim is to reduce plastic in nature and promote the circular economy. "Our tethered caps play an important role in preventing littering. As the cap remains attached to the rest of the carton pack, it is included in the recycling process. The caps have also been designed to be as user-friendly as possible. They are easy to open and close, and the diameter is carefully designed to make drinking and pouring easy," says Elizabeth Anderberg, Communication Director North Europe at Tetra Pak.

"Benefits all consumers"

Tetra Pak commissioned the Swedish Rheumatism Association to carry out its scientific, easy-to-use test method to ensure that the new tethered caps are accessible to everyone. A test panel of people with impaired hand function was asked to assess the packs in several stages. The results are summarised by calculating the average assessment of the test group for each use step. The panel's judgment is verified by comparison with a more extensive reference group, as each test panel is unique.

"We are very pleased that all our tested tethered cap packages have been approved and certified. Tetra Pak has a long history of focusing on user-friendly design. It is of utmost importance that all our products are simple and easy to use, and this benefits all consumers, not just people with impaired hand function", says Elizabeth Anderberg, Communication Director North Europe at Tetra Pak.

More and more people with impaired hand function

At least 1.5 million people in Sweden have impaired hand function, according to the Swedish Rheumatism Association, and many find it difficult to open, for example, a medicine or food package that is not well designed.

Stina Nordström, Secretary General of the Swedish Rheumatism Association, said:

"Our work with the easy-to-use tests shows how important it is to get it right from the start. With this approach, many products could become more accessible and usable for more people. A large and growing group in society - not only people with rheumatic diagnoses - have major problems with difficult-to-open packaging. We are very pleased that companies like Tetra Pak are trying to develop easy-to-use products, and we certainly hope to see more of them."

What is Easy to use?

• Easy to Use is the Rheumatism Association's unique certification of products and packaging, which is based on product tests carried out by people with impaired hand function.
• The Rheumatism Association's test is a scientifically developed method, proven for many years, to provide a supporting tool for manufacturers and producers of products.
• When the tested product reaches the approved level, it is certified by the Swedish Rheumatism Association. Approved products are considered easy to use for everyone.
• All Tetra Pak tethered cap packages tested so far (18 products) have been awarded the Easy to Use certification in 2022/2023.

Easy to open, according to international standard

Tetra Pak also tests its products according to ISO17480 "Ease of Opening", an international standard for assessing the ease of opening products, based on panel tests with older people (65-79 years).

The new directive on fixed caps

The EU's Single Use Plastics Directive (SUP) requires that single-use beverage containers made with plastics are only allowed on the market if their caps and lids are attached to the packaging. They will enter into force in July 2024. The directive is part of the EU's more comprehensive drive announced in its Plastics Strategy. It forms a vital part of the EU's Circular Economy Action Plan.

Media contacts

Geelmuyden Kiese
Madeleine Persson
madeleine.persson@gknordic.com
+46 730620534