Yeti Tumbler

Picture Cited

Schwartz, Alvin, and Samuel Nocella. “Yeti Stores.” Amazon, Macmillan, 1977, https://www.amazon.com/stores/BREWHAAS/page/0BF716C7-CB12-40DB-8134-D4D29DC0E768?ref_=ast_bln.

Name: HongJin Lou

Instructor: Christina Cogdell

Course: DES 40A, Fall 2021

Section: 02

Date: 11/22/2021

Harmful & Beneficial Effect of Raw Material Utilization

The Yeti tumbler is a beverage container that has a variety of functions and styles, which is widely used around the world. The brand was created by the two brothers Roy and Ryan Seiders in 2006. It became very popular because it can keep warm or cool for a decent amount of time. It is a product that originated for outdoor enthusiasts, but as the popularity increases in the markets, people start using it for daily consumption. The life cycle of any product predominantly has three different stages: It begins with the raw materials of the product, embodied energy in the process, and the waste emissions being produced throughout the process. The whole life cycle of a product involves many different raw materials, some are primary and secondary resources, but there are other materials in the production process that are chemicals. Comparing the amount of recyclable raw materials in the Yeti tumbler production, the amount of single-use raw materials are very low, almost to none. Numerous raw materials are being used to manufacture the Yeti tumbler and those materials that can be recycled efficiently decrease the amount of waste and emission. Continuous production of this product decreases the number of pollutants emitted to the environment and the depletion of natural resources, so the Yeti tumbler can be considered as a sustainable product. The tumbler is a durable product, it can last for an exceedingly long period before it is worn out. Consumers and Manufactures should understand that Yeti tumblers’ raw materials are reusable, thus the product reduces the production of harmful pollutants and helps conserve natural resources.

The Yeti Tumbler is a flat bottomed beverage container that is composed mainly of three different parts. They are the Tumbler’s body, Tumbler led, and Seal Gasket, respectively. Each of the parts from the Yeti Tumblers contains different primary materials that meet the FDA standard for production. In order to form a stainless steel body, stainless steel is required. Stainless steel is produced from the basic elements of the earth: iron ore, chromium, silicon, nickel, carbon, nitrogen, and manganese. The manufacturing of stainless steel involves a series of processes, from melting all the raw materials together, to casting the molten steel into solid forms, next the solid steel will experience a couple of forming processes (rolling, stretching, compressing). After the forming process, the solid steel must go through an annealing step. Annealing is a type of heat treatment in which the steel will be heated and cooled under controlled conditions that will help relieve internal stress and soften the metal structure. Then the solid steel will use a nitric-hydrofluoric acid bath to descale the steel. The mechanical cutting of the steel by circle shearing to form a tube shape. At this point the manufacturing process is not yet done, the stainless steel tube will be transported to the tumbler manufacturing facility for further production.

The secondary material needed for the production of tumblers is plastic, which Yeti company had cooperated with Eastman Tritan for supplying BPA-free plastic from recycling plastic wastes. The Tritan renewal process is being powered by an n3ew recycling technology that transforms single-use plastic waste into durable materials. It all begins with the collection of any plastic bottles, polyester-based clothing, and carpet fibers. The renewal technology will break down waste plastic back into its basic chemical building blocks by unzipping the polyester using glycolysis or methanolysis to convert them back to their basic monomers to produce new materials. This process is also known as depolymerization, in which the molecules being produced are identical to the materials made with original content, thus allowing the recycling process of polyester over and over again without the fear of degradation. After the recycling process, the new plastic materials will be molded to a cap shape, then they will be transported to the Yeti assemble line for final production.

Another material that is associated with the production of the tumbler is solid silicone, it is a material that has low toxicity and high heat resistance. The manufacturing process of silicone involves many chemical reactions but the product is 100% safe for consumer use. First, the silicon will be isolated from the silica stone by heating at a high temperature. As the fine silicon powder is being produced, it will combine with methyl chloride and be heated once again to form dimethyldichlorosilane. Then we have to transform dimethyldichlorosilane to silicon by a series of complex distillation processes. After distillation, water is added to separate dimethyldichlorosilane into disilanol and hydrochloric acid. The chemical reaction between hydrochloric acid and disilanol, causing it to condense into polydimethylsiloxane. Lastly, silicone is being polymerized to form any shapes that meet the needs of the product. In this case, the tumbler needed a ring-shaped solid silicone as the seal gasket.

To complete the final production of the tumbler, we have to prepare the stainless steel tube from the manufacturing facility, the BPA plastic from Eastman Tritan, and Solid silicone from the end product manufacture. The main production process of the Yeti tumbler is shown below; starting with preparing a stainless steel tube on the machine for cutting and shape forming. On the other hand, the machine uses threads to form the mouth of the tumbler, then a worker will match the mouth with the tube and weld the tumbler mouth onto it. Again the tumbler will be flipped upside down for the welding of the bottom. For the tumbler to have its function the vacuuming process is the key reason that the temperature inside the tube will not be affected by the surrounding. Before the tumbler is finished, it has to experience two more processes of powder coating and sub-parts assembling.

Powder coating is a finishing technology that has been used in the manufacturing industry since the 1950s. The powder that is used in the coating process is either thermoplastic or a thermoset polymer. All of the materials used in powder coating processes are non-toxic, non-volatile, and completely safe. Yeti tumbler powder coating uses thermoplastic as the main powder for the coating over the tumbler body. The idea of powder coating is applied to the product we need through electrostatic charge, in which the dry powder composed with a positive charge is being shot using the electrostatic gun. Then the positive dry powder will naturally stick to the grounded metal piece with a negative charge. Powder coating using thermoplastic can be reused repeatedly because it is a recyclable material that can be melted down and reused in other projects if needed. Since the chemical compound will not change while curing, which means that fewer pollutants will be produced to harm the environment.

Even though various raw materials are used to produce the Yeti tumbler are recyclable, people still throw them away into garbage disposals after the end of their life. The difficulty we see is that people lack sufficient knowledge about how to recycle Yeti tumbler, and the benefits recycling bring to solving environmental issues. As we know that stainless steel acquires the biggest portion of the tumbler, the recycling of this material can decrease the emission from stainless steel manufacturers. Tritan Plastic is the tumbler cap, and Silicone ring is the seal gasket. Even these two parts only take up barely 10 percent of the Yeti tumbler, but recycling them can contribute to decreasing depletion of natural resources, and reducing greenhouse gas emission from fossil fuel burning. Yeti company has worked with Eastman Tritan on the recycling process, in which the old tumblers are shipped, disassemble in the recycling process, then the materials that Eastman can recycle will be placed forward for mechanical breakdown. On the other hand, the stainless steel will be transported to a molding factory for reprocessing to form new materials for production.

The Yeti Tumbler is a thermal beverage container, that contains various raw materials in different stages of the product. Many different raw, primary, chemical materials are used in manufacturing, processing, distributing, and transporting stages. The government and Manufactures have understood the consequences of environmental harm as more resources are being uptake for the production of emissions. As of saying the government facilities have established a recycling plan for the pickup and transport of product waste. Company working along with the official programs to reuse and re-production of those recycled materials. As we understand the importance of recycling these materials because it can deliberately decrease the amount of CO2 emissions, and volatile organic compounds that lead to greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere that creates global warming. Furthermore, the more product recycled the more natural resources we are saving up, which will decrease the depletion of natural resources.

Work Cited

“What Materials Are Used To Yeti Tumblers?” How YETI Tumblers Are Manufactured? June 2nd, 2021

https://www.waterbottle.tech/how-yeti-tumblers-are-manufactured/#1

“Safety a key ingredient in Tritan”

https://www.eastman.com/Markets/Tritan_Safe/Pages/Attributes.aspx

“Stainless Steel” How products are made?

http://www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Stainless-Steel.html

Is Powder Coating Paint Toxic?

https://www.powdercoatingonline.com/raw-material-suppliers-page-1/

“Recycling Stainless Steel” Australian stainless steel Development Association

https://www.assda.asn.au/technical-info/environment-health-and-safety/recycling

“Are Stainless Steel Water Bottles Recyclable?” MARCH 12, 2018

https://scswa.net/are-stainless-steel-water-bottles-recyclable/

Mike. “Is Yeti Made in the USA?” All American Reviews, 26 Mar. 2021, https://allamericanreviews.com/yeti/.

Introducing Tritan™ Renew from Eastman

https://www.eastman.com/Brands/Eastman_Tritan/Pages/tritan-renew.aspx

\Which is better? 304 vs 316 Stainless Steel

https://www.reliance-foundry.com/blog/304-vs-316-stainless-steel

What is BPA and why you should avoid it

https://www.endeavour.edu.au/about-us/blog/what-bpa-and-why-you-should-avoid-it/

Is Silicone Safe?

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/blog/3204/is-silicone-safe.html

Stainless Steel: All About Food Grade 304, 18/8 and 18/10

https://mightynest.com/articles/stainless-steel-all-about-food-grade-304-188-and-1810

Sustainability in the Workplace: 5 Major Benefits of Plastic Recycling

https://blog.impactplastics.co/blog/sustainability-in-the-workplace-5-major-benefits-of-plastic-recycling

Yeti

https://www.middlemarketcenter.org/company-of-month/yeti

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO THE PRODUCTION OF SILICON

https://www.simtec-silicone.com/how-is-silicone-produced/

“Creation of Advanced Recycle Process to Waste Container and Packaging Plastic — Polypropylene Sorted Recycled Plastic Case”

日本レオロジー学会誌, 2017/07/15, Vol.45(3), pp.139-143

Vasin Jagadeeswaran 

Professor Cogdell

Energy Materials and Design

11/30/21

Yeti Tumblers Research project 

For many years, Yeti Rambler tumblers have become a best-seller in the United States, solidly maintaining the top rank in various categories. The tumblers are composed of stainless steel and provide excellent thermal insulation, whether used to carry ice cubes or hot water. The YETI tumbler keeps water or beverages cold for 12 hours and hot for 6 hours, allowing users to sip ice water whenever and wherever they want outside. 

The materials used in YETI tumblers are entirely food-grade, toxin-free, and BPA-free. The FDA has approved the Yeti tumbler. The following is a list of comprehensive material information: 18/8 stainless tumbler body (304 stainless steel) Tritan and Seal Tumbler Lid Solid silicone sealant. Manufacturer A of Yeti Tumblers has set up a totally closed manufacturing facility for Yeti, which does not create items for other companies (Barr). Yeti's private workshop, on the other hand, uses the same production machinery as other brands, and there is nothing unusual about it. Thermos cups are a high-tech sector with similar production techniques across different brands. This same Yeti tumbler has a double-wall structural insulated system with a vacuum layer sandwiched between that includes a stainless steel surfaces. A film of copper is coated on the outside edge of the inner steel material. These basic properties effectively block all heat flow via conduction, convective, and radiation (Paul). Convection is rare since the vacuum prohibits conduction and the cover prevents air from entering or exiting the flask. Whenever thermal energy tries to exit the heated liquid, it is reflected right back by the cavity's reflecting covering. The Yeti Tumbler is extremely heated, and the hot liquids kept within will stay steaming for the last several periods.

          Stainless is utilized to produce insulating bottles of water, which is then used to make both the inner and outside bottles. The most extensively utilized stainless is SUS304 (18 / 8 meal standard stainless, which is utilized in food apparatus, average chemical devices, the atomic power sector, and other applications (YETI Tumblers). Stainless steel, temperature resistance, low temperature toughness, and strong mechanical qualities are all features of SUS304. Temperature range: -196 to 800 °C for SUS304. Stainless steel tubes serve as the foundation for this operation. Stainless steel tube is initially installed in the hydraulic augmentation apparatus. The pipe bulges into a bottle shape due to the water pressure. Since this type of container lacks a base, a cylindrical stainless steel plate will be welded to it to complete it. Stainless steel sheets are used as the primary raw material in this procedure (YETI Tumblers). The stainless steel sheets should be first cut into metal plates of the required size, and now a punch press is used to extend the stainless sheet material into a cylinder with a bottom. The exterior bottle can be made using one of these two methods. Expansion of the water supply is getting increasingly desirable.

            As per Yeti Tumbler, the environmental consequences of purchasing iced teas, coffees, and other drinks in plastic containers cannot be overstated. To use a recyclable tumbler is an easy way to be more environmentally conscious, but it does have some disadvantages. Yeti's branding exudes toughness and durability in spades. Which is ideal if you want a tumbler that will last a long period. It's made of stainless steel that's good for the kitchen and has vacuum shielding on both surfaces. Which has an integrated adhesive top that makes it easy to try and open, but it isn't leak-proof, and some buyers have grumbled about the paintwork cracking on theirs.. It is, however, easily cleaned and cup holder suitable, as well as being shatter-resistant.

Yeti Tumbler wastes may last for centuries in the ecosystem, whether it's in a waterway, the ocean, or on land. Tumblers' endurance and resistance to deterioration, which make them so helpful, also make them practically hard for nature to entirely degrade. They have also been discovered in the bulk of the world's drinking water. Illegal dumping, particularly disposable items, can enhance the propagation of vector-borne illnesses like malaria by blocking sewers and creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes and parasites.

         The worldwide volume of plastic garbage is increasing, and some of the largest manufacturers are unable to efficiently manage their waste. Nevertheless, as the globe grows increasingly conscious of the crisis, governments are starting to take steps to address it (Paul). Authorities can use a range of strategies, including as public service announcements, composting programs, imposing new, and sometimes even simply banning certain goods. A growing number of national and local governments have taken action to address pollution problems. Yeti Tumbler Starbucks is the largest coffee corporation in the industry. Its waste has a big impact on our water, the seas, and human wellbeing. A decade ago, the business made a promise to reform. It stated that by 2015, it will produce a 100% biodegradable tumbler and deliver at least 25percent of its total of its drinks in environmentally friendly packaging. According to Yeti Tumbler, Starbucks has still yet to manufacture a recyclable cup, and just 1.6 percent  of beverages sold are consumed in non-disposable cups or mugs (YETI Tumblers). Despite the fact that it has fallen well short of the 2008 objectives, it is pressuring investors to vote negative on a private equity request for a presentation on efforts to formulate a comprehensive plan for compostable bags at the 2018 general meeting of shareholders. It is past time for Yeti Tumbler Starbucks to be held accountable.

Yeti Tumbler waste is substantial, yet it appears ignorant to the terrible cycle we create every time we drink water or any other beverage and dump the cups in the trash. As a result, when we consider this, we must feel forced to act, if for no other reason than self-preservation, because pollution knows no bounds (Barr). Under the hashtag Tumbler Lid Solid Silicon Pollution, a call to action against plastic pollution has been continuing. The first step in answering this appeal is for every one of us to resolve to be nice to Mother Nature. Tumbler cups have a major drawback in that they are difficult to recycle. Surprisingly, just 1% of tumblers make it through the recycling process. That's why they've become such a big deal. Tumblers are extremely adaptable beverage containers that may be used for virtually anything. Tumblers are often used for cold beverages, however many stainless steel tumblers include a double-wall that exempts hot and cold beverages (YETI Tumblers). One may use a travel tumbler for milkshakes, cocktails, hot cocoa, and other beverages that you wouldn't want to put in a refillable water bottle because of the large aperture, which is easy to clean with soap and water.

Many recycling programs cannot eliminate the tumbler liner used in takeout coffee cups, which may surprise you. As a result, only a small percentage of our cups get recycled once they have been used. Did you know that just one out of every 400 single-use coffee cups is recycled? The majority of our cups end up in landfills or waste-to-energy facilities. It makes them watertight so they can keep our beverages, but it also makes them difficult to get rid of. Humans have all seen them lying about, but it may surprise you to learn that approximately half a million throwaway Yeti tumblers are wasted nearly every day. This has an unattractive and harmful influence on the environment, as well as encouraging more trash. If you properly dispose of your cup, you will most likely place it in an on-street bin. However, this causes a waste pollution concern for the local governments.

Work Cited

Barr, Abigail. Make your beverage habit more eco-friendly with these reusable tumblers. 31 July 2020. 2021. 

https://mashable.com/roundup/best-reusable-tumblers

Paul, Hope. Does the Yeti Rambler Deserve All the Love It Gets? 17 May 2021. 2021. 

https://www.consumerreports.org/insulated-cups/yeti-rambler-travel-mug-review-a5036036462/

YETI Tumblers. How YETI Tumblers Are Manufactured? 2 June 2021. 2021.

https://www.waterbottle.tech/how-yeti-tumblers-are-manufactured/

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Elemental Bottles. “What to Do with Old Stainless Steel Water Bottles.” Elemental Bottles, https://www.elementalbottles.com/blogs/news/what-to-do-with-old-stainless-steel-water-bottles. 

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