Even though reusable cups are “built for life,” environmentalists caution against the potential for long-term waste when fads fade.
The newest stainless steel status symbol is a massive tumbler that supposedly keeps drinks cold even if it’s left in your burning car.
People are willing to wait outside Target stores overnight for the newest limited edition colors, Target red and Cosmo pink, for Valentine’s Day, because the 40 oz. Stanley Quencher H2.0 Flowstate tumbler—that’s 1.18 liters for those of us using the metric system—has become so popular. Meanwhile, TikTok influencers can get a ton of views for their cup content.
And yes, a Stanley tumbler fan claimed in a post that went viral that not only did hers survive a car fire, but the president of the company also sent her a
a heartfelt note promising to send her a fresh set of cups as well as a completely new car.
According to a CNBC story from last month, Stanley has increased its annual profits tenfold over the last four years thanks to the kind of hype that many other companies would only dream of.
However, even though the cups are long-lasting and could be considered an environmentally friendly substitute for single-use cups and bottles, proponents argue that the concept of a fashionable water bottle undermines sustainability.
Consumer trends change over time. Sustainability experts caution that once this fad passes, many of today’s hot tumblers will wind up in a landfill, just like their counterparts made of paper and plastic.
Author Aja Barber, who is based in the United Kingdom and writes about how our purchasing habits affect us and the rest of the world, said, “The planet is on fire and all of our consumer habits definitely play a part in it.”
