Origin Materials introduces tethered PET beverage cap

West Sacramento, California-based Origin Materials Inc. has announced what it claims is the world’s first tethered polyethylene terephthalate (PET) cap to add to its PET caps and closures portfolio.

John Bissell, the company’s co-founder and CEO, says cap tethering mandates are coming into effect later this year in Europe through the EU Single-Use Plastic Directive, and further mandates are anticipated around the world. He says tethered caps are designed to stay connected to the container and thereby improve cap collection rates for recycling.

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“We have already seen strong demand for our tethered caps, which we have developed in conjunction with our PET caps and closures initiative, while the regulatory environment continues to evolve and incentivize tethered solutions,” he continues.

Origin’s tethered cap compliments its previously announced PET closure, which it claims is the world’s lightest carbonated soft drink (CSD) cap compatible with the PCO 1881 neck finish. The company says its PCO 1881-compatible cap is the first of its kind to be commercially produced with 100 percent PET. Origin PET caps, including its tethered cap, may be produced with any kind of PET material, whether virgin, recycled (rPET) or bio-based.

“Cap tethering is poised to transform beverage packaging and we are well positioned to lead in this arena,” Bissell says. “First, whether tethered or not, our PET caps offer better performance than traditional HDPE [high-density polyethylene] and polypropylene [PP] caps, extending product shelf life and enabling lightweighting. Second, our technology enables monomaterial tethered PET products, meaning cap and container are both PET and can be recycled together seamlessly with no need to separate the two material streams, offering clear advantages when tethering. Third, more PET in the recycling stream means higher value bales of recycled material, which is good for recyclers and increases the supply of recycled PET. Fourth, our solution can expand the use of recycled content—specifically recycled PET—something global beverage brands are eager to do.”

Origin is showing its PET caps alongside its partners in their booths this week at the NPE 2024 conference in Orlando.

The company says its high-throughput production system will make the PET caps and closures at commercial scale, and its PCO 1881-compatible caps will be available beginning in the fourth quarter of this year, with PCO 1881-compatible tethered caps to follow afterward.