Street festivals are a great way to mingle with the community, support local businesses, and generally have a fun time. But having to deal with unnecessary waste is one way the party can be spoiled.
On the r/anticonsumption Reddit community, one user posted a picture of a ridiculous addition to the bottom of their drinking vessel.
At the base of their boba tea container, they found a small electronic device that made the cup glow in different colors. They noted it had a "555 timer, 3 colored LEDs, 3 alkaline button cells," and a "circuit board," which didn't do anything to improve the flavor of the drink but did generate suitable outrage.
"That is 110% definitely a class one product, so they have much lower standards for boards, and they aren't even required to clean it," one Redditor observed. "I don't want flux residue and leftover coating chemicals in my drink. Awful."
Flux residue is the material left on a surface after soldering. According to Stellar Technical, it is acidic and contains chemicals that are necessary for the soldering process, so having these anywhere near something you are about to ingest is not exactly ideal.
If lead is in the solder mixture, that could lead to exposure to carcinogens. If it's a zinc-chloride-based flux, it can be "corrosive to skin, eyes, and internal organs."
That's not even to mention the presence of the batteries, which also contain chemicals that can be harmful to human health.
While this is all concerning, there's also a disturbing level of waste here. The device serves no purpose except to entice people to buy the product, and it will likely be disposed of after use and find its way to landfill, where it will not degrade for a long time — if ever — and will contribute to the production of planet-warming gases all the while.
According to the Public Interest Research Group, around 6.9 million tons of electronic waste is created in the United States every year, typically from smartphones, laptops, televisions, and appliances. The World Economic Forum anticipates we'll create 81.6 million tons of e-waste yearly by 2030.
The PIRG also noted that e-waste is responsible for two-thirds of heavy metal waste in landfills, which could be recycled and used in other products, avoiding the need to mine so much for new metals. Many items are housed in plastic, too, which is harmful to the planet at every step of its lifecycle.
While not including pointless items like the electronic lighting in the cup will help, so will responsible recycling practices or taking items for repairs rather than investing in new products. Thankfully, more companies are offering ways to increase the lifespan of electronic items, like Google and Staples.
Redditors are clearly ready for a lot less electronic waste.
"This is legitimately insane," one user said of the flashing cup, with another adding, "Some day we're going to look back and wonder how we ever thought this way of doing things would last."
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