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Shrinking Plastic Caps Make Bottles and Cartons Harder to Open

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Do you find you are struggling more to open cartons of milk or other packaging with plastic screw lids ?

The reason could be because manufacturers are reducing the height of the screw caps and the thickness of the plastic

This means you have less grip on the tops to twist them

This is bad enough for younger people who have the strength in their fingers to grip the caps, but older people may struggle more, especially if they have arthritis in their hands and fingers

They just don't seem to care as long as they are reducing their costs

Its not just in the UK and Europe, its happening everywhere including the USA

I have attached a short video from there explaining what is happening

So the next time you struggle to open that milk carton or drinks bottle you know you have the companies to thank

Image

telmel
3 weeks ago
What do you think of this?+20 points
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JLouM

I have gadgets to help me open them but doesn’t help when out and on the go.

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telmel

JLouM That could be a problem J

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mudgesheila50

What if you don't have a pot holder? Or pliers in the garage? Or as JLouM says, you are out and about?

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Auntielettie

Sometimes I find them so tricky to open, what do people with dexterity problems do? I think it makes people think twice as to which product to buy just because of the difficulty of opening

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Imnotcheap

So it's not just me they really are getting more difficult to open. Very interesting

I also find pop bottles are getting more difficult to shut making them easier to spill

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janphoenix51

Imnotcheap ..

YES...I thought I had closed my bottle a few weeks ago but to my horror I hadn't closed it properly so all my bag was soaked in Juice.

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Imnotcheap

janphoenix51 happens to me a lot at home. I find it easier if I completely break lip off

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janphoenix51

I struggle to open bottles & cartons at the best of times so don't need any more hassle with this!!

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tumblespots

It's funny you should bring this topic up as lately we have found that it is really hard to detach the top from the bottle which means that you have to hold the top out of the way when pouring. Crazy!

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Jinky67

tumblespots that's the whole point, they want the whole thing recycled, and people were just chucking lids in the bin

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tumblespots

Jinky67 It does make pouring anything out of the bottle very dodgy and I always recycle both parts but I understand that some people don't. As usual, I now have to pay the price for other people's actions....

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Jinky67

tumblespots I hate them.

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MelissaLee1

I never had a problem opening things when I was younger.In the dark,behind my back,opening sweets in my pocket.Now I struggle with just about everything.Keeps me thin lol..Er no I was lying about that last bit. Image

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telmel

MelissaLee1 I think we are all screwed now M, too tight 😉

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MelissaLee1

telmel I poke at things with whatever is to hand..scissors,tweezers,biros..er anything that makes a hole lol.

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Pinkspirit

I purchased a 4 pinta of milk l didn't know the lid wasn't on properly.... Great the whole container full went sour...Aaaargh

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martinlufc5637

Yes it's getting ridiculous, I tried to open some milk and it took forever, then tried opening a jar of uncle Ben's sweat & sour, couldn't open it, I eventually just stuck a knife through the top to release the air inside the jar and it opened easily, it shouldn't be this way

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telmel

martinlufc5637 I bought a cheap plastic tool for opening jar lids M , but not for opening milk tops etc , i never thought i would need one

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MrsCraig

I haven't noticed that the bottle tops have gotten smaller, nor have I had any issues with opening them. I know that the tops are now attached for recycling purposes but not had any issues with this either.

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M1321

Ye it is annoying water Bottles size gone small too another thing now have to open half lid of the bottles 😁if anyone noticed I hate that.thanks for this topic 😊

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telmel

M1321 A pleasure M, it's a thing that annoys me so just wanted to post it to see if it affected others, which it does. It's the small annoying things in life that come together to make a bigger annoyance

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BonzoBanana

I like a good workout with a jar of curry sauce. I try 3 or 4 times with my bare hands and then try with a towel and then try with the tool for assisting opening that bites into the jar lid. 3 minutes later its open. It feels like a challenge and you get manly ego bonus points for opening it. It wouldn't be the same if the jars opened easily. Also jars are pressurised to prevent tampering so if the little bubble bit isn't correct you know someone has been there before you and shouldn't use it.

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telmel

I always give the lid a good rap on the top in the centre of the lid to release the air B , either with my knuckles or something out the kitchen draw, this usually works, but if not i have a plastic tool that unscrews the lid , worth buying if you suffer from arthritis in the hands and find this type of action difficult

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