We’re all for saving the planet, but let’s be honest, attached bottle caps can be a real pain. In an effort to reduce plastic waste, lids are now attached to bottles with two small plastic pieces, preventing complete removal and ensuring both are recycled. It’s a noble cause, but we’ve all experienced the struggles: a scratched face from the lid or water splashing into our eyes. But there’s a solution, and we’ve been doing it wrong this whole time.
Instead of just unscrewing the cap as usual, you need to unscrew the lid so it’s sticking out to one side. While many stop there, the trick is to split the plastic ring that goes around the bottle’s neck into two. Now, you can pull the lid back over the neck and onto the other side. The cap should now be facing down and out of the way, preventing any accidental face-scratching. Confused? A helpful TikTok demonstration has gone viral, leaving viewers stunned by the simple yet effective tip.
TikToker Venomania expressed the sentiment of many: “ALRIGHT AND WHERE DOES IT TELL US TO DO THAT?! TELL ME. WHERE? NO WHERE.” It turns out we’ve been doing it wrong all along!
While this hack is a game-changer, it doesn’t work for all bottles. Coca-Cola bottles, for example, don’t have a plastic ring that splits in two. The regulation mandating attached bottle caps was passed in 2018, but came into effect more recently. The EU directive explains that plastic caps and lids for beverage containers are among the most common single-use plastic items found on beaches. Companies selling drinks in the EU were required to fully implement this change as of July 3, 2024.
The new design initially sparked outrage. On X (formerly Twitter), user @Joesteel25 complained: “What’s going on with plastic bottle caps at the moment? I don’t understand that little joint of sadness that’s been added. I don’t buy bottled drinks all that often, but when I do: if there’s something left, the cap goes on. If there isn’t, the cap goes on; it goes in recycling.” Another user, @simonelanna, even tagged environmentalist Greta Thunberg to complain: “Sick of these caps that don’t detach from the bottle. ‘What is the point?? I’ve never thrown the cap away separately? All it does is scratch my face and ruin my day. Now I yank them off out of spite.”
Hopefully, this simple trick will make drinking from a bottle a little less traumatic. Have a story to share? Email MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
