With social media, any frequent merchandise, even drinkware, might grow to be stylish. Within the case of Stanley, their tumblers rapidly gained the eye of the TikTok crowd, resulting in a skyrocket in gross sales lately. Now, the social media platform that helped enhance Stanley’s gross sales is popping the tables on the beloved development.
Why TikTok Turned the Tables on Stanley
Stanley’s guardian firm, Pacific Market Worldwide (PMI), is dealing with a number of class-action lawsuits resulting from allegedly failing to reveal the presence of lead in its merchandise. The allegations got here as a number of customers on social media reportedly used at-home testing kits to verify the drinkware contained the substance. The lawsuit states, “Stanley knew or fairly ought to have identified about this lead difficulty for years however selected to hide it from the general public presumably to keep away from shedding gross sales.”
How Dangerous Is Lead?
In keeping with the Facilities for Illness Management (CDC), long-term publicity to guide can pose critical well being dangers to kids and adults. In giant portions, it could harm virtually each physique system, particularly the nervous system. Relating to pregnant ladies, excessive ranges of publicity might trigger miscarriages or different problems. Moreover, research have revealed that lead might put folks in danger for most cancers.
Some states, together with California, have legal guidelines requiring companies to reveal the presence of chemical substances that will trigger most cancers or reproductive hurt to shoppers. As such, firms must put warning labels on merchandise until the publicity degree is taken into account too low to trigger hurt.
Stanley’s Response to the Lawsuit
In keeping with the FAQ on Stanley’s official web site, the corporate explains, “Our manufacturing course of at the moment employs the usage of an industry-standard pellet to seal the vacuum insulation on the base of our merchandise; the sealing materials contains some lead.” In addition they emphasize that “no lead is current on the floor of any Stanley product.”
Whereas they do not deny the presence of lead, they reassure shoppers that the compound is inaccessible and, subsequently, is secure to make use of. Whereas the result of the lawsuit has but to be decided, it’s as much as shoppers to resolve in the event that they wish to proceed utilizing their tumblers or put them away for good.
