Design Life-Cycle

Jaclyn Nguyen

DES40A Winter 23

Professor Cogdell

16 March 2023

The Raw Materials of a Stanley Tumbler

The Stanley tumbler, also commonly referred to as the Stanley cup, is a new sensation that has taken over the internet due to its functionality, design, and portability. Like many stainless-steel products on the market such as the HydroFlask or the Yeti tumbler, the Stanley cup is a more sustainable option for drinking water than using plastic water bottles. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), global plastic waste generation has increased to 353 million tonnes, and only 9% of all plastic waste is recycled (“Plastic pollution is growing relentless as waste management and recycling fall short, says OECD”). Despite being around for more than 100 years, Stanley tumblers are created with a technology that is constantly improving to combat this waste problem. Part of this innovative technology is being able to create a product that is durable and sustainable. To accomplish this, the manufacturer of Stanley products uses recyclable materials whenever possible in different stages of the tumbler’s life cycle. These recyclable materials in return reduces the production of harmful pollutants and extraction of natural resources and promotes durability.

            The first and main recyclable material of the Stanley cup is stainless steel. More specifically, the stainless steel that the Stanley tumbler uses is 18/8 stainless steel, also known as 304 stainless steel, which is composed of primary materials iron ore, chromium, silicon, nickel, carbon, nitrogen, and manganese (“How Products are Made: Stainless Steel”). Recycling stainless steel, or steel in general, has many benefits. These benefits include but are not limited to unlimited recycling without the quality being compromised, reduction of CO2 emissions, and overextraction of valuable resources (“The Benefits of Recycling Steel”). Additionally, 90% of the co-products being used in steel production are recycled or reused as steel gets recycled (“Steel Recycling: Processes, Benefits, and Business Solutions”). Knowing these benefits of recycling stainless steel, the Stanley company is currently producing the newest version of the Stanley tumbler that uses 90% 18/8 recycled stainless steel (Stanley website). This is a huge difference from just the regular 18/8 stainless steel material. The 90% recyclable indicates that the product is created from postconsumer material. Postconsumer material is a “finished material which would normally be disposed of as a solid waste, having reached its intended end-use and completed its life cycle as a consumer item” (StopWaste website). So, what this means is that the Stanley tumbler recovers 90% of the recycled contents of stainless steel and uses this to create their products. Therefore, by using recyclable stainless steel, the Stanley tumbler helps reduce the production of waste and extraction of valuable resources. With the stainless steel creating the outer and inner layers of the Stanley tumbler, we can move onto the next recyclable material in the production process.           

            The next recyclable material in the manufacturing process of the Stanley cup is silicone. During the manufacturing process, silicone is used as a silicone seal. This silicone seal is used to bind the two layers of the Stanley cup together, creating the base of the product (“How Products are Made: Insulated Bottle”). Additionally, the lid of the Stanley cup also has a silicone seal, which helps prevent leaks when consumers are on the go (Stanley website). One of the biggest benefits of silicone is that it is extremely durable and can be used many times due to its ability to withstand high and low temperatures (“Can Silicone Be Recycled?”). As such, by using silicone, the Stanley tumbler becomes a lot more durable, and the product can be used over a long period of time. This promotes sustainability since consumers do not have to constantly purchase new tumblers, reducing the production of harmful waste and extraction of natural resources. Furthermore, if the product does reach the end of its lifetime and cannot be salvaged, silicone can be recycled. This process requires a lot of expertise and fossil fuel consumption; however, “a silicone product will remain intact decades longer than an average human lifetime,” which means that recycling is not a frequent process (“Is Silicone Recyclable? How To Recycle Silicone Correctly?”)  Rather, recycling is an option for consumers if the product truly is at the end of its lifetime. Silicone will also not create as much waste as plastic when recycled, which is extremely helpful for the environment and our resources (“Can Silicone Be Recycled?”). With the completion of the silicone seals, the Stanley tumbler is ready to move onto the next stage of the production process and the next raw material needed.

            In addition to the aforementioned raw materials, the Stanley cup also uses recyclable Tritan plastic to promote durability and sustainability. Tritan is a BPA-free plastic, meaning that it is not created with bisphenol A (BPA) or any other bisphenol compounds like bisphenol S (BPS), which can be extremely toxic for consumers (“Safety a Key Ingredient in Tritan”). This is extremely important to factor in because the lid and straw of the Stanley tumbler are created with this, meaning that consumer health should be a priority. In addition to its safer usage compared to other plastic types, BPA-free Tritan plastic is also extremely durable. This plastic is dishwasher safe, shatter-proof, and can withstand hot water usage (“Understanding Tritan Plastic: The Safest Plastic Available”). BPA-free Tritan plastic can also be made with 50% recyclable contents, which helps reduce the postconsumer waste (“Introducing Tritan Renew From Eastman”). Therefore, by using BPA-free Tritan plastic, the Stanley tumbler is able to have a durable straw and lid that consumers will not have to repurchase constantly, which helps reduce waste and extraction of resources, further promoting sustainability. With the completion of the straw and lid, the Stanley tumbler is ready for the finishing touches and final step of the manufacturing process. 

            The final recyclable material in the manufacturing process is a powder coat finish that allows for the product to have an extended duration of use. Powder coating is created using “polymer resin combined with pigments, curative, flow modifiers, leveling agents, and several other additives” that melt together, cooled, and grounded into a powder (“Everything You Should Know About Powder Coating Finishes”). This material is very sturdy and flexible and can tremendously lengthen the durability of a product. In fact, powder coating finishes can last up to 20 years (“Everything You Should Know About Powder Coating Finishes”). This means that the overall durability of the Stanley tumbler also increases since the powder coating finish protects the stainless steel base. This material is recyclable, reusable, and helps reduce wastage unlike paint. Additionally, powder coating does not release “volatile organic compounds that may harm the environment” and is safe to use (“Everything You Should Know About Powder Coating Finishes”). Overall, the powder coat finish of a Stanley tumbler allows for the product to become much more durable, which reduces the number of times a consumer must repurchase the product. The overall composition of the Stanley cup is pretty much recyclable as well, which helps promote sustainability and reduces the waste emission and extraction of resources. With that in mind, the Stanley cup is now ready to be in the distribution phase.

For this phase of the Stanley tumbler’s life cycle, there are some setbacks in terms of sustainability. In order to distribute the product worldwide, fossil fuels are used to fuel transportation and distribution. However, the positive side of this distribution process is the change that the Stanley company is making to promote sustainability. For instance, the Stanley company is shifting from using plastic materials to wrap the product to using paper (Stanley website). Paper is recyclable and biodegradable, which will not create any waste for the environment. Other materials used during this stage can include cardboard boxes and perhaps plastic bubble wrap for shipment and protection of the tumbler. The company also has replaceable lids and straws for purchase should consumers need new ones. This also encourages consumers to keep their tumblers for longer, further promoting sustainability.

            Ultimately, the Stanley tumbler utilizes many recyclable materials throughout the product’s life cycle to create a durable and sustainable product. In return, this helps diminish the current waste pollution and overextraction of raw materials. The manufacturing process entails the usage of recyclable stainless steel, silicone, BPA-free Tritan plastic, and a powder coat finish. The distribution process uses recyclable materials such as paper and cardboard, and non-recyclable ones like fossil fuels. With all these benefits, the Stanley tumbler really encourages consumers to step away from the usage of plastic water bottles. The plastic waste created by water bottles every year is too much and we are unable to come up with a solution for this. Thus, by creating a product where consumers can refill their water, bring on the go, and keep the liquids insulated, we hope to be able to see a decrease in the plastic waste, which allows for some of the harmful pollutants in the environment to slowly decrease.

Works Cited

“Can Silicone Be Recycled?” LastObject, LastObject, 9 Dec. 2021, https://lastobject.com/blogs/sustainability-101/can-silicone-be-recycled.

Chatterbuzz. “The Benefits of Recycling Steel.” GLE Scrap Metal, 12 Aug. 2022, https://glescrap.com/blog/the-benefits-of-recycling-steel/#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20benefits%20of,used%20in%20the%20production%20process.

Eriksen, Marcus, et al. “Plastic Pollution in the World's Oceans: More than 5 Trillion Plastic Pieces Weighing over 250,000 Tons Afloat at Sea.” PLoS ONE, vol. 9, no. 12, 2014, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0111913.

“Everything You Should Know about Powder Coating Finishes.” Precision Sheet Metal Fabrication and Machining Services, https://www.ametals.com/post/everything-you-should-know-about-powder-coating-finishes.

“Insulated Bottle.” How Products Are Made, http://www.madehow.com/Volume-4/Insulated-Bottle.html#:~:text=For%20a%20coldinsulated%20bottle%2C%20foam,to%20form%20a%20single%20unit.

“Introducing Tritan™ Renew from Eastman.” Eastman, https://www.eastman.com/Brands/Eastman_Tritan/Pages/tritan-renew.aspx#:~:text=All%20the%20durability%2C%20performance%2C%20and,recycling%20is%20in%20your%20hands.

Plastic Pollution Is Growing Relentlessly as Waste Management and Recycling Fall Short, Says OECD, 22 Feb. 2022, https://www.oecd.org/environment/plastic-pollution-is-growing-relentlessly-as-waste-management-and-recycling-fall-short.htm#:~:text=Nearly%20two%2Dthirds%20of%20plastic,11%25%20from%20clothing%20and%20textiles.

“The Quencher H2.0 Flowstate™ Tumbler: 40 Oz.” Stanley 1913, https://www.stanley1913.com/products/adventure-quencher-travel-tumbler-40-oz.

“Safety a Key Ingredient in Tritan™.” Tritan Safe | Safety Attributes, https://www.eastman.com/Markets/Tritan_Safe/Pages/Attributes.aspx#:~:text=Tritan%20is%20a%20BPA%2Dfree,used%20without%20fear%20of%20shattering.

“Stainless Steel.” How Products Are Made, http://www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Stainless-Steel.html.

“Sustainability: Built for Life: Stanley.” Stanley 1913, https://www.stanley1913.com/pages/sustainability.

Trvst. “Is Silicone Recyclable? How to Recycle Silicone Correctly.” TRVST, 19 Jan. 2023, https://www.trvst.world/waste-recycling/is-silicone-recyclable/.

“Understanding Tritan Plastic: The Safest Plastic Available.” Clearly Filtered, https://www.clearlyfiltered.com/blogs/blog/why-we-use-tritan-plastic.

“When Looking for Recycled Content Products, What Do the Terms ‘Postconsumer," ‘Pre-Consumer’ and ‘Total Recycled Content’ Mean?: Stopwaste - Home, Work, School.” StopWaste, https://www.stopwaste.org/faq/when-looking-recycled-content-products-what-do-terms-%E2%80%9Cpostconsumer%E2%80%9D-%E2%80%9Cpre-consumer%E2%80%9D-and-%E2%80%9Ctotal.

MAZZIE HARRIS; DES40

Stanley Cup Energy, Waste, and Emissions
Design is all around us: twenty-four seven, three sixty- five, all day, every day. Whether

it’s your bed, your iPad you work on, your favorite sweater, or the elements that remind you of moms meatloaf. Do you ever stop to think: how was this made? What energy components go into making this? Is this even safe to the environment that I’m living in? Honestly, I bet you haven’t. When you hear the words “Stanley Cup”, what comes to your mind? Is it a general cup- probably? Or do hockey championships come to your mind- that gritty, sweaty, bloody, celebratory sport that comes down to one team; one winner and one loser? When I think about it, I think of the trending tumbler cup I’ve seen, and purchased, on social media. The Stanley Cup is a portable and reusable product that can be used on a variety of occasions: cozy camping, steamy morning coffee on the porch, icy beverages with friends on the sizzling sand, traveling in the airport, you name it. Manufactured of recycled stainless steel, this cup has a vacuum insulation that will keep your beverage inside at low temperatures or high temperatures consistently for hours for consumers to enjoy imperishable savory..or sustainable sipping. The Stanley Cup is a durable product that requires precise energy procedures to sustain itself to stay low in the numbers of waste and emissions it produces.

Every design on earth is made from energy: energy from either animals, people, or machines through a specific, standard procedure. The Stanley Cup is so durable because of the energy procedures put into it. To kick things off, let's dive into how the main component of the Stanley Cup is made: stainless steel. The construction of stainless steel involves a series of processes: melting, casting, and being treated and cleaned into the desired finish. According to MadeHow, basic elements found in the earth need to be extracted first: iron ore, chromium, silicon, nickel, carbon, nitrogen, and manganese. These elements then undergo the first stage of the process, which is melting in an electric furnace that takes approximately eight to twelve hours of immense heat. Once the melting stage is complete, the next step is to deposit and cast the molten steel into semi-finished forms that are either rectangular, square, or round. These forms are called blooms, billets, slabs, rods, or tube rounds. After, the semi-finished steel goes through “forming operations, beginning with hot rolling, in which the steel is heated and passed though huge rolls; blooms and billets are formed into bar and wire, while slabs are formed into plates, strips, and sheets” (MakeHow). The forms then go through a stage called annealing, which is heat treatment where the steel is heated and cooled under regulated conditions to relieve internal stresses and overall soften the metal. With annealing comes a build up on the steel that can be removed my a number of processes. One is pickling: a nitric-hydrofluoric acid bath to descale the steel. Another method is electro-cleaning, which is an electric current that is applied to the surface using cathode and phosphoric acid until the scale is removed. The final procedures are cutting and finishing up the steel. Cutting includes a variety of techniques like shearing with guillotine knives, circle shearing using circular knives, nibbling, blanking, sawing with high speed steel blades, flame cutting, or plasma jet cutting. These techniques are used to obtain the desired shape or size for the finishing stage. During the finishing stage, The stainless steel goes through “grinding wheels to buff the surface for the appearance” (MakeHow). As soon as the buff is ready, the stainless steel is packaged and shipped to the end user for further shaping. Yes, a substantial amount of energy goes into making stainless steel alone, but what about the cup itself? Allow that thought to plunge you further into the energy put into making the stainless steel, vacuum insulated tumbler cup. First, what do I mean by vacuum? According to Kingstar Thermos Container Manufacturing, the vacuum insulation structure can delay the heat dissipation of the liquid inside to achieve the purpose of heat preservation. The shiny interior wall can reflect the radiation of warm temperatures that the vacuum structure can block and transfer, preventing heat convection and achieving the effect insulation. “With the vacuum insulation conduction, convection, and radiation allow the drinks to stay cool or hot with no air leaking inside of the cup when the lid is screwed on tight” (Greensteel). Located in Seattle, Washington, the factory receives stainless steel in the form of sheets. They then produce outer and inner bottles, assembly and weld the material, vacuum them, and then decorate. Manufacturing the outer and inner sections of the bottle start with pipe cutting: cutting the raw material to the required length. After this stage, they shift to expanding the stainless steel. To do so, there are the options of water expansion or stretching. Water expansion starts with “the stainless steel pipe put on a water expansion machine where the pipe swells into a bottle shape under the huge pressure of water. With this method, the bottle formed is with no bottom, so a round stainless steel plate will be welded onto it to form a complete bottle” (KTCM). It is the most popular way to expand the stainless steel. On the other hand, stretching starts with stainless steel sheets cut into round plates at the appropriate size and then punch pressed to stretch into a cylinder with a bottom. Once the material is stretched, the material undergoes shaping and necking, which is the process of creating the bottle neck. Next, the shaped stainless steel will experience the processes of thread rolling, cleaning, and inspections. To wrap up the energy of making the tumbler cup, the steps furthermore are to assemble bottle mouth matching, bottle mouth welding, and bottle bottom welding. Through such assembling, leaking tests, vacuuming, insulation tests, electrolytic polishing, mechanical polishing, cleaning, external coating, pattern and logo printing, and packing occur for the finished look of the Stanley Cup.

With every input there is an output; with every ounce of energy put into making the Stanley cup there is an amount of waste and emissions produced. “Stainless steel might be the ultimate green raw material” (Ulbrich). This material is one hundred percent recyclable because the scraps can simply be reused. According to Ulbrich, a past study by the European Confederation of Iron and Steel industries found some reviews of health effects with stainless steel: “stainless steel alloys have no adverse health effects and are not hazardous, there's no evidence to prove that steel manufacturing affects staff health, the cutting and grinding of these alloys don't affect workers health, and welding of these alloys don't present a higher risk of lung cancer than any other steel welding form”. The manufacturing of stainless steel is a circular economy; resources are gathered, manufactured, consumed or used, and recycled. The only waste byproduct is slag, which comes from the melting in the electric furnace. As far as water usage, water is only used during manufacturing of stainless steel for cooling and shaping; and even after using this water, it is recycled over one hundred times before discharging it. Waste is minimized beast most of the waste is burned in a furnace and recycled. These cups become so durable that they could be used for more than three years, when handled properly. All one has to do is wash it to reuse it. With that, the fossil depletion impact is reduced, which shows “lower environmental impacts” (science direct). Even though stainless steel is one hundred percent recyclable, it is not biodegradable. Eventually, yes, it will break down over thousands of years due to weather, but everything eventually wears down with time. Stainless steel is still sufficiently eco-friendly because around eighty to eighty-five percent of the stainless steel produced globally today is made from recycled soap metal (BSFixings). This material is long lasting it significantly reduces the need to use natural resources. It is the most environmentally friendly material used in this era today because no chemicals are used during the production, so there is no chemical waste to consider, and no chemicals related when it is recycled.

To conclude, the Stanley Cup accounts for a large mass of energy, with such a petite load of waste and emissions. The Stanley Cup is durable, sustainable, easy cleaning, and sanitary will all that goes into forming it. While personally owning one of these tumblers, I can honestly approve all that is stated in the previous sentence. Considering, that the Stanley Cup is reusable, it saves the environment because it is far better than plastic cups that you cannot reuse. The use of the stainless steel Stanley Cup is used worldwide in places such as Thailand, Brazil, Canada, Europe, UK, Korea, New Zealand, and Japan (science direct). Imagine places all over the world using a reusable and safe tumbler like the Stanley Cup instead of plastic cups. The world would be a healthier environmental performance with every consumer that engages in this product. Most people associate stainless steel with other heavy duty metals that have a negative impact on the environment we live in, but stainless steel is a raw green material that enhances the fight against global warming overall. The sustainable Stanley Cup is entirely environmentally friendly and contributes to the world sustainability.