Personalized Drinkware Taps into Gen Z’s Desire for Sustainable Luxury

Between #WaterTok, the Stanley Cup craze, and Starbucks’ widely-publicized announcement about phasing out disposable cups, reusable drinkware has had a high profile across social media and consumer news for the past year or two. For TikTok-savvy Generation Z, many of whom want to both be and be seen to be environmentally and socially conscious¹, reusable drinkware — sometimes dubbed the emotional support water bottle — has become an everyday essential.

Set against this backdrop, the insulated drinkware market is experiencing rapid growth, with a CAGR of between 5.6% and 6.7% forecast by 2030. The factors contributing to this vary from region to region. In the U.S. and Australia, for example, a growing health and self-care culture is a big driver of growth, while in Europe the move away from single-use plastic plays a considerable role. Overwhelmingly, this market growth is being driven by consumers looking to make more sustainable choices.

Consumers are not alone in seeking out reusable drinkware. Brands are also capitalizing on the trend, illustrated by the widely publicized queues and in-store tussles over limited edition Starbucks and Target Hearth & Hand with Magnolia Stanley cups. Unsurprisingly, the Advertising Speciality Institute (ASI) named the Stanley Quencher its Product of the Year for 2023, while SAGE’s monthly ranking of most popular promotional product categories in the USA included tumblers and bottles in the top eight throughout 2024.