New style plastic bottle tops - problems opening them

MarriedtoFinn

Hi, bottle tops that are continuously attached - great for the environment, nuisance to handle!
If at home, you can always wrap a tea towel round top while twisting, or a sheet of non-slip tray liner held in your hand.  Gives excellent grip without hurting hands, as the plastic digs in.  
As for the cartons - again if at home, simply use the opposite corner, un-fold the flap and snip it open.  Of course, you then have to be careful to not spill any contents not fully used up. 
Close opening with a peg or bull-dog clip.  Not so useful if you are out and about, but at home, this works.
Oh, and then can we resolve the problems with bleach bottles and pill tubs ...

DullGreyGuy

subjecttocontract said:

Why have they been changed ?
The normal screwed top worked ok.

Because the recycling of bottle lids was vastly lower than the recycling of bottles. It's an EU directive and so not strictly required in the UK but given most manufacture for the two markets together we are getting them too. The idea of the tethering is that the two stay together and both get recycled rather than the lid being casually discarded and only the bottle going into the recycle bin. 

Have to agree with others that there is no more difficulty in opening them but using them without the lid getting in the way or replacing the lid on can be more tricky with certain option. Personally its manageable and if it helps increase recycling then I can live with it.

Vortigern

Ocean Spray: If they used a hexagonal cap I could use a spanner on it. Otherwise I'll just have to keep my slip-joint pliers in the cutlery drawer.

Alternatively, ignore the cap, lift up one of the stuck down top corners and cut with scissors.

Amazon and eBay have suitable gripper tools. They're sold as disability aids, but you don't need to be disabled to have difficulty with Ocean Spray caps.

Their caps try to do too much. As you try to unscrew they have to split the plastic to plastic joint between cap and retainer, at the same time pushing down and twisting a hole saw which is supposed to cut the foil seal.

Kim_13

They seem to have been narrowed at the same time as the lids became hinged. That rather than the attached lids have made them difficult to open, as there’s less to grip while trying to open it.

diveunderthebonnet

Vortigern said:

Ocean Spray: If they used a hexagonal cap I could use a spanner on it. Otherwise I'll just have to keep my slip-joint pliers in the cutlery drawer.

Alternatively, ignore the cap, lift up one of the stuck down top corners and cut with scissors.

Amazon and eBay have suitable gripper tools. They're sold as disability aids, but you don't need to be disabled to have difficulty with Ocean Spray caps.

Their caps try to do too much. As you try to unscrew they have to split the plastic to plastic joint between cap and retainer, at the same time pushing down and twisting a hole saw which is supposed to cut the foil seal.

Sainsburys skimmed milk uses the same type of container ( made in Germany it used to say on the carton ) had a batch where the cap finally came off but the foil was not cut ,had to poke something down to open the carton ,phoned Sainsburys customer help number but could not explain fully to the person who answered what the problem was so in the end said thanks and put the phone down.

Kim_13

Asda’s own brand soda includes an instruction that no mechanical aid should be used to remove the cap, but at least their caps aren’t the worst offenders.