SCGC and SACMI Join Forces to Develop Eco-Friendly Soft Drink Bottle Cap, New Design for Sustainability, Offering Alternative for Beverage Industry

Bangkok – 18 April 2023 SCG Chemicals or SCGC, a leading integrated chemical player for sustainability, and with SACMI IMOLA S.C., a manufacturer of machines, molds, and developer of plastic bottle caps for the world’s leading beverage brands, collaborated to create the green carbonated soft drink bottle cap, a new design that incorporates the sustainable design concept. The specially-designed cap is made of SCGC GREEN POLYMER, an innovative eco-friendly polymer with exceptional strength and toughness. It helps reduce environmental plastic leakage because it is tethered to the bottle, therefore it can be recycled easily and more efficiently. This is a promising new option for cap manufacturers and beverage brand owners in light of the megatrend shifting toward eco-friendlier packaging in the carbonated soft drink bottle cap segment, where over 130 billion caps are used yearly. This is also in line with the EU regulations that require plastic caps to remain attached to all beverage containers with a capacity of less than or equal to 3 liters, which will come into effect in mid-2024

Tanawong Areeratchakul, Chief Executive Officer and President of SCG Chemicals Public Company Limited or SCGC, said, “SCGC continues to develop chemicals innovations and improve the quality of life for people, while also caring for society and the environment, and truly fulfilling the needs of consumers and related industries. It employs circular economy principles and megatrends as a foundation for developing innovative products and eco-friendly solutions.

In partnership with SACMI to develop a new carbonated soft drink bottle cap design that complies with sustainability requirements, SCGC has introduced green polymer under the brand name SCGC GREEN POLYMER, which are excellently robust and durable throughout production, allowing the bottle cap body and ring as tamper evident band to be attached. Both the bottle cap body and the tamper evident band is firmly attached to the bottle when opened for use, and it does not fall out of the bottle as easily as before, minimizing plastic leakage into the environment. In addition, the entire bottle cap is recyclable, allowing for more efficient recycling of used plastic. Globally, over 130 billion plastic bottle caps are used each year. If it is completely redesigned, it will be easier to collect and store after use, which helps to build a better and more sustainable environment in line with the principles of the circular economy.”

This SACMI green tethered cap is the 26/22 model used with the PET bottle GME 30.40. The bottle cap can be made of SCGC GREEN POLYMER SX002J grade, a polymer with superior stress cracking resistance property. With its strength and toughness, the cap can be repeatedly opened and closed, and the attachment between the cap and the ring is not easily broken. This is in line with Directive (EU) Regulation 2019/94 of the European Union, which mandates that plastic caps of beverages less than or equal to 3 liters must be attached to the bottle during usage beginning in July 2024.

The innovative plastic resins that provide extra robustness is one of the solutions of environmentally friendly polymers offered under the brand SCGC GREEN POLYMER encompassing four areas: (1) REDUCE – reducing resource consumption and maximizing resource efficiency; (2) RECYCLABLE – design for recyclability; (3) RECYCLE – recycling; and (4) RENEWABLE – solutions for bio compostable plastics and plastics made from renewable resources.