The world produces about 2 billion tons of waste annually, mostly plastic, which does not decompose. Plastic caps are usualy a special challenge because they often do not end up in the recycling process, but they should because they are a valuable raw material.

Jamnica, the leading Croatian company in the production of water and beverages, is aware of its responsibility and continuously strives to reduce the negative impact on the environment, and one of the initiatives in this direction is the introduction of a tethered cap.

Mandatory alignment with the EU Directive

Implementing the tethered cap was introduced by Jamnica as part of the process of complying with the EU Directive on reducing the impact of certain plastic products on the environment. The deadline for implementing the tethered cap is July 3, 2024, and in Jamnica, they comply with the Directive even earlier and want to encourage others to follow their example.

According to the Directive, the caps must be firmly attached to the bottles as they often end up as separate waste, polluting the environment. After use, the goal is that both bottle and cap are disposed together in a recycling container. Along with Jamnica, tethered caps are also implemented on few other drinks that are part of Jamnica's portfolio.

"Sustainability and environmental care are among the main strategic priorities of Jamnica, and that's why we launched tethered cap on our bottles. We estimate that in the next year, around 300 tons of plastic caps will end up in recycling instead of in the environment thanks to the tethered caps on the bottles of our products," said Ivana Krnjević, head of environmental protection in Jamnica.

This innovation is another step towards a cleaner environment, with Jamnica supporting the EU's efforts to reduce pollution when it comes to packaging. At the same time, it wants to further educate and encourage consumers to become aware of their active role in separating and recycling waste.