Yes I am aware that they’re somehow supposed to reduce plastic waste because the cap can’t get lost … unless you cut it off, of course.
Yes I am also aware that there are people with disabilities (shaky hands, weak grip, etc.) who are thankful for these and actually like the design. Good for them, and I mean that in a non-sarcastic way.
But personally, I hate these things with all the “first world problems” rage I can muster and go out of my way to rip / cut / twist them off on every single bottle I buy. I don’t like having the bottle cap directly in my face while drinking, or slipping in the way of the flow whenever I just want to pour milk, and on more than one occasion, I’ve actually cut my finger OR lip on these little sh*ts (not the same type as in the picture, but baldy-made longer “bands” that leave little plastic spikes on the cap and/or band).
No idea whether I should post this in the “unpopular opinion” section instead or if other people think the same, but to me, “mildly infuriating” describes them perfectly.
Is this just EU or are others also joining?
I feel like I also encountered these in Japan, but my memory could deceive me.
Japan here. I’ve never seen them.
Ah okay, I must be remembering wrong.
I do however remember the separation of recyclables being fairly confusing for Westerners.
Japan is the last place I’d expect them. That country is atrocious when it comes to plastic garbage. Everything is wrapped in plastics, quite often multiple times. Even stuff that’s literally not needed to be wrapped. Or things that are just not needed in general, like, peeled fruit, packaged in plastic to stay fresh.
They are also remarkably light on littering, so it doesn’t make sense for them to use cap tethers for litter prevention either.