Pull the other one
Ring pulls have evolved over the years, from those that pull off to stay-on tabs, to now ones that are capable of puncturing an air hole into the end of the can to make it more effective to pour.
On a recent visit to Asia I notice that the pull off ring pulls were still in use – something I hadn’t seen since the 1980s – and I wondered why. Well, by all accounts it is perceived issues with hygiene that have led to the stay on tab being looked at with caution on this continent.
Consumers are worried that the beverage inside could become contaminated when the stay-on tab comes into contact with the liquid within – something that is alleviated by the use of the pull off tab.
What I noticed, however, was that these pull-off versions were littered all over the floor and I seem to remember there being a hoo-ha about it in the late 1980s and early 1990s in the UK, with environmentalists asking “what is to be done about this issue?”
Well, it has been solved here by the use of the stay-on tab, but what can we do to sort this problem out in other parts of the world still using this old-fashioned throwaway version?
Let’s hear your views please – comments, as always, can be left below.
