THIS is what that hole in the ring-pull is for!
Frankly, this is NOT what we expected!
It turns out that the ring-pull has a hole in it... simply to make it smaller, and to save money on aluminum!
Of course, many believe it is to stabilize a straw, but in fact this is just a happy by-product of the design.
You may also be interested to learn that the path to this current ring-pull design was long and complicated: this design cuts down on litter (as the aluminum tab stays attached to the can) and hits just the right balance between "easy to open" and "won't burst open without warning!".
If you want to get really technical, "The design operates both as a “second class” and as a “first class lever” at different points in the can-opening process—redirecting loads and shifting the fulcrum—using the inherent pressure from the carbonated beverage in its favor." according to the man who designed it, Daniel F. Cudzik, an engineer with Reynolds Metals.
This innovation alone is estimated to have resulted in about an extra 4 million tons of aluminum being recycled, rather than ending up in landfill.
Pretty clever, right?
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