Is cloth strap packaging for drinks safe to carry in hand?

Milk tea brand Li Shanshan Tea Affairs has drawn criticism for self-pickup packaging that uses a green cloth strap tied around the cup instead of a handbag. The strap wraps only the upper half with no base support, so drinks can tip while walking. Customers also report that no matter how many cups they buy, only the strap is provided unless a handbag is purchased.

The strap's shape before use was mocked online, but the louder concern is spill risk and inconvenience. Posts such as one complaining about two cups packed with a single strap drew many replies about drinks that cannot be set down safely. The case raises the question of whether environment coffee goals can be met while keeping a cup steady coffee in hand.

Recently, the popular milk tea brand Li Shanshan Tea Affairs has sparked heated discussion due to its takeout packaging method. When customers pick up their drinks themselves, the store does not provide conventional handbags, but instead uses a green cloth strap to tie the cup so customers can carry it away. Before use, this cloth strap has a peculiar shape and has been jokingly called a "thong" by netizens. However, beyond the jokes, more consumers are worried about its safety: the cloth strap only wraps around the upper half of the cup body, with no support at the bottom, making it easy to lose balance and tip over while walking, causing drinks to spill. In addition, the brand stipulates that no matter how many cups are purchased, if customers do not pay extra for a handbag, the store only provides the packaging strap, a practice that also makes many customers feel inconvenienced. This article will sort out the ins and outs of the incident, present consumer feedback and comparative cases, and explore the balance between the brand's environmental intentions and users' actual needs.

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In the general perception of milk tea lovers, after ordering online and picking up in-store, one usually receives a handbag with the drink already packed from the staff. However, at stores of the popular milk tea brand Li Shanshan Tea Affairs, customers who choose self-pickup and ask for packaging do not receive a handbag, but a green cloth strap.

According to buyer shows and explanations shared by customers on social platforms, when customers ask to pack their drinks to go, the brand's staff use a cloth packaging strap to tie up the cup so customers can carry it while walking. Because this packaging strap has a visually striking shape before use, it has been jokingly called a "thong" by netizens.

Apart from the jokes, many consumers have expressed strong dissatisfaction with the milk tea shop's practice of using a packaging strap to "pack" drinks. Recently, a netizen posted a thread titled "Are Li Shanshan packaging bags very expensive? For two cups they still gave me a thong," which resonated with many customers who had experienced this packaging service.

In the comment section of the post, many people reported that the brand's packaging method makes them feel insecure: "You can't put it down on a flat surface at all, you have to keep holding it, and the straw is still in your hand," "I carried it with my heart in my throat, afraid it would fall," "This packaging looks like it will tip over at a glance," "The one I just bought last time spilled right after I finished taking a photo," "It feels like if someone accidentally bumps it, it will spill."

Some people compared Li Shanshan's packaging strap with the mesh packaging bag Starbucks used previously, pointing out that although the two are similar in material and shape, and both focus on simplicity and environmental protection, Starbucks' "spider web" packaging bag "at least has a bottom," so the drink is not easy to knock over when carried by hand.

By contrast, Li Shanshan's packaging strap only wraps around the upper half of the cup when in use, with no support at the bottom, so when customers carry it by hand, the drink cup suspended in the air is very likely to lose balance and tip over while they walk. Some customers reported that before they even walked out of the store with the drink, the liquid in the cup had already spilled all over the floor, lamenting that this packaging method is "too embarrassing."

At the same time, customers also find it hard to accept the brand's practice that "no matter how many cups are purchased, as long as customers do not pay extra for a conventional handbag, the store only provides the packaging strap."

In consumers' view, tea beverage brands nowadays generally provide suitable packaging materials according to the number of cups purchased, drink temperature, and other conditions in order to offer a better buying experience. But at Li Shanshan stores, consumers who want a handbag can only buy one at an additional price, and they say bluntly that the packaging service the brand provides for takeout customers cannot meet their needs.

It is not entirely incomprehensible that the brand, out of environmental and economic considerations, provides packaging straps for self-pickup users. But for consumers, choosing packaging means hoping to safely carry the drink away without tipping it over or spilling it, so they care more about whether the store can provide corresponding packaging services based on customers' basic needs and usage scenarios. After all, no one wants the milk tea in their hand to spill all over the road because of unsuitable packaging before they have even taken a sip.

Image source: Xiaohongshu

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