FDBusiness.com

New German-developed drinks packaging technology has been presented with an innovation award.

Can2Close’s ring-pull mechanism can be sealed again and again, unlike standard ring-pulls that, once they’re open, stay that way. According to the firm, the C2 opening tab is also “easier to open” and it works through a four-stage rotation process.

When locked, the tab points downwards and that’s also a sign that it hasn’t been tampered with. Rotating the tab either clockwise or anticlockwise releases pressure and once it gets past the 180 degree mark, the can is ready to be opened. Returning the tab to its original position closes the flap up again, producing an airtight seal.

Resealable Drinks Tab

Can2Close says that its resealable drinks tab design present multiple benefits.

For consumers, it provides drinks that stay fresher for longer, are less likely to spill, are easier to transport around after the first opening and are better-protected against external threats like cigarette butts and insects. It’s also smoothly functioning and safer – free of the sharp edges associated with older designs.

The Can2Close award was presented at the recent Munich Business Plan Competition 2013 event, which saw it placed within the top ten of 169 entrants. The host of this event was Evobis, a German organisation that backs and rewards innovative start-up ventures.

Can2Close Award

‘Since the 60s, many inventors have attempted to solve the riddle of the re-sealable can, but even the most-promising solutions were too technically complex or not economically viable to integrate into the internationally-standardised filling processes’, officials explained in a statement on the Can2Close award. ‘The last significant change to the soda can, in fact, was the stay-on tab, launched in 1974. It replaced the ring-pull and reduced litter and the risk of injury.

‘Now, some 40 years later, there is a solution that further evolves the can and meets the needs of today’s market.’