From the Urban Peak collection: The 12 oz. 3-in-1 Insulator (SL233SS), 16 oz. Camber Trail Vacuum Tumbler (SL254PR), 16 oz. Silo Trail Vacuum Tumbler (SL232PR) and 14 oz. Trek Vacuum Camp Mug (SL258PR), all with lead-free seals.

After YETI exploded onto the retail scene about 14 years ago, drinkware has never been the same. Now, buyers at both retail and promo want high-end, sleek tumbler models with unparalleled insulation capabilities, achieved with a vacuum-seal process.

But the vast majority of tumblers — including those from YETI — use a glass-enclosed lead bead at the very base of each piece that seals the inner and outer metal layers, which lets the tumbler keep hot liquids hot and cold ones cold. While the drinkware is safe to drink from, the lead can leach out of the drinkware over time.

Now, there’s an overseas manufacturer that's spent the last two years rethinking the use of lead when it comes to long-term sustainability, and has partnered with Starline (asi/89320; Canada, 89213) to bring these new lead-free seals to the promo industry.

Brian Porter, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Starline, spoke with ASI about this new technique they’re offering clients and how it’s poised to change the industry.

Q: How is vacuum-sealed drinkware typically manufactured?
Brian Porter: Traditionally, the manufacturer places them in a giant room and all the air is sucked out. Then, the inner and outer layers of metal are brought together at a fine point at the base, and they’re sealed together with a glass-encapsulated ball of lead to maintain the vacuum seal. It’s an easy process and it’s been done that way for years. If you take a look at most vacuum-sealed drinkware, you’ll see some type of circular piece that covers up the lead bead on the bottom (YETI has a stainless steel cap over theirs).

Q: Why is lead used?
BP: It cools and seals quickly, so it’s easy to use in manufacturing these products. It’s safe to drink from drinkware made with this traditional process, but when you wash it or it ends up in a landfill, there is gradual leaching of the lead over time.

Q: What does this mean for your company moving forward?
BP: Sustainable and environmentally friendly products are such hot button topics in the industry right now. We’re looking at the long game, and we’re seeing clients gravitate toward these pieces. There are also safety concerns and liability issues. There’s an environmental movement right now. People want to know what they’re putting in their bodies. There was a movement against plastic bottles a few years ago, and now it’s bags and straws. We want to do the right thing, and we hope other suppliers adopt it as well.

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