Amcor designs recyclable water bottle cap for consumers with limited hand function
Key takeaways
- Amcor has partnered with French premium water brand Wattwiller by Spadel to develop a customized, lightweight tethered cap.
- The flower-shaped cap is designed to support consumers with limited dexterity and is made from high-density PE.
- The solution features an ergonomic design and a 26 mm neck to reduce material use and overall weight.
Amcor has partnered with Wattwiller, a French premium water brand, to introduce a lightweight, ergonomically designed closure. Through the collaboration with Wattwiller’s owner, Spadel, Amcor has developed a customized tethered cap tailored to the brand’s requirements.
The closure is designed to promote inclusivity, supporting consumers with limited dexterity, such as the elderly and people with disabilities. The flower-shaped cap combines smooth and ribbed surfaces for improved grip and ease of opening.
Sarah de la Mare, Amcor product line director, says: “Collaboration was central to this project. To work with Spadel closely meant that we were able to identify the challenges and demonstrate that not all tethered caps are the same. The product is an innovative, forward-thinking packaging solution, as well as being practical and user-friendly.”
Meeting sustainability goals
The closure is manufactured from high-density PE and is recyclable with PET bottles and lighter compared to the previous design. The design features a smaller 26 mm neck, which also cuts weight. The closure is made at Amcor’s facility in Frankental, Germany.
“Compared with the previous solution, Amcor’s closure is lighter and better aligned with Spadel’s sustainability goals. The project leveraged our strengths in R&D, design, and lightweighting,” says De La Mare.
Wattwiller is said to be the first French small and medium-sized enterprise in the water market to fully achieve carbon neutrality across its entire lifecycle of products. From production and packaging to bottling and distribution, Wattwiller aims to reduce its impact on the environment.
Julian Schmitt, marketing manager at Spadel, comments: “We’re proud of this collaboration with Amcor. Their expertise has helped deliver an innovative closure that showcases not only our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment, but also our desire to demonstrate accessible design in our packaging.”
Packaging Insights spoke to De La Mare at Drinktec 2025 about Amcor’s beverage closures. She shared that the company is looking to expand its tethered closures portfolio and that consumer demands for sustainable packaging design influence Amcor Rigid’s developments.
