American tourists are only just discovering the irritating ‘tethered’ bottle caps that have been introduced across Europe.
The EU made the bottle caps mandatory earlier this year. Despite Brexit, we still have them in the UK as companies don’t want to have to produce different bottle caps for different parts of Europe.
They are designed to reduce waste and make sure every part of the bottle is recycled by ensuring the lid doesn’t detach. However, many have found them extremely annoying as the cap often gets in the way of the liquid coming out – meaning it splashes.
Americans holidaying or living in Europe are now coming across them, and it’s fair to say they’re confused.
TikToker Sage VanAlstine, who has more than 75,000 followers, is an American working in Paris. She recently posted a video in which she asked: “What is going on with these French water bottles?”
She said: “The cap just stays connected. It doesn’t come off. So when you go to drink it, the cap just keeps hitting you in the face […] I’m assuming they do this so you don’t lose your water bottle cap, but like, how do you lose your cap? It should always be on top of the water bottle closing it, or in your hand while you drink from the water bottle really quickly.”
She added: “But obviously, if losing caps is a big problem and this is going to be better for the environment, I’m all for it.”
American meteorologist Rob Jones also shared a video about the caps, and explained that when he first came across them in Italy he assumed there had been a “manufacturing mistake”. He explained why the EU had introduced them, and asked his followers: “Should we bring tethered bottle caps to the USA?”
Reacting in the comments section, one person said: “No it isn’t helping, these things suck in Europe. Also we recycle every single bottle here always with the cap.” Another said the caps get “pulled off every time” anyway.
However, others were more supportive of the caps. “Bring this to America,” one said. Another wrote: “I love and miss this so much.”