Stanley Made Reusable Cups Huge. Now It Has to Make Them Sustainable
The $45 “Stanley” tumbler is a popular alternative to plastic water bottles. But collectors are amassing dozens of them, undercutting the environmental benefits.
The $45 reusable Stanley tumbler is part utility, part status symbol and part internet craze.
Photographer: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
When Holli, a 33-year-old mother of six, started collecting Stanley cups in 2019, she was part of a small but dedicated fan club. The company would occasionally release new colors, and Holli joined Facebook groups to trade cups with fellow enthusiasts. At one point, her Arizona home contained more than 200 Stanleys, a collection that earned her millions of views on TikTok.
Fast forward four years and Holli’s Stanley interest is starting to ebb. Limited releases, once sporadic enough to be exciting, are increasingly common. The Facebook groups are bursting with members, and the resale market is more and more saturated. After donating a slew of unused Stanleys to friends, family and her church, Holli says her collection is now down to 112.