While many useful items stock store shelves today, there is also a wide range of novelty products that seem like a waste of money and plastic. One frustrated shopper shared an example on Reddit after coming across a product they thought was particularly useless.

What's happening?

The original poster shared a photo of the product they objected to on r/Anticonsumption. "You've got to be kidding me," they said.

The photo shows a miniature seafoam green folding chair, with packaging proclaiming that it is a "foldable chair phone stand." In other words, it is a chair for your phone — a product with limited usefulness that looks flimsy to begin with.

"C'mon, we dont need to do this, ugh," said the original poster.

Why is a silly plastic knick-knack important?

At first glance, this product doesn't look harmful. It's not exactly a necessity, but it's at least somewhat useful, and buyers have the option to choose to spend their money on it or not.

However, there are several problems here. First, the manufacturer has made it with the expectation that many of the individual items won't sell. Therefore, the cost of each item is much higher than the actual production cost to make up for the unsold units, wasting consumers' money.

Meanwhile, all of the items that don't sell will end up getting thrown away and end up in a landfill. Once again, the manufacturer makes many more than necessary, knowing that they will become trash and end up seeping pollution into the environment.

The ones that do get sold, meanwhile, are unlikely to last long, given the substandard construction and materials. They will still end up in the garbage, if they don't become litter in the environment.

Even the packaging represents an unnecessary layer of plastic that could become litter.

"Yeah, conceptually, I don't think a phone stand that looks like a folding chair is inherently bad," said a commenter. "But knowing this is a semi-niche product (the fact that it's a folding chair, not the functionality of a phone stand) that's being mass produced and is destined for most of its stock to be dumped in a landfill is what makes me irritated."

Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to recycle old clothes and electronics? Giving me money back 💰 Letting me trade for new stuff 👕 Making it as easy as possible ⚡ Keeping my stuff out of landfills 🗑️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

What could the company do about this?

To avoid these problems, the manufacturer could focus on making the best phone stand possible, instead of making a novelty version. It could choose a more eco-friendly material, such as a recyclable metal like aluminum, and base the shape on what is most effective and comfortable for a phone stand, rather than leaning on a gimmick. This would ensure that the product appeals to the widest audience, lasts as long as possible, and can be recycled into something new at the end of its life.

What can I do to avoid unnecessary plastic waste?

Whenever possible, choose plastic-free alternatives to flimsy plastic products like these. The alternatives generally last longer and perform better. You can also find more affordable alternatives by shopping at thrift stores, which also helps keep items out of landfills while they still have useful life left. All of this helps minimize the amount of plastic that enters circulation and ends up in landfills.

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