A red flag symbolizes a warning, danger, caution, potential problem and further investigation is warranted. Scent naturally serves as a warning signal to our nervous systems (“food is not safe!”, “fire!”, “not healthy!”, etc). Using scent in environments whether we are aware or not, lures you to buy, to eat, to linger or to move quickly. Scent is so powerful in this way that corporations worldwide spend billions of dollars a year on ambient scent. Scent marketing is aggressive and popular where businesses believe that if they scent the space consumers spend 20% more (See Journal of Retail articles for more of this). What if we made the corporations smell like the effects they are having on the environment?
Caro Verbeek recently reports from the Netherlands that the environmental group Extinction Rebellion used scent, butyric acid, to scatter shoppers at a local fast fashion chain. They playfully named this “smelly cheese and pungent scent ” smell, ode aux rattes which phonetically sounds like the English “Odorat” which equals ode of rat + odorant. This clever, and harmless activity had powerful effects as it should. These halls of fast fashion are generally scented to attract buyers and ignite their fantasies of “looking good” while these clothes generally land in a landfill within 2 years. More consumers need to be aware of the effects of their shopping choices on the environment. While activists in the past have used butyric acid before to bring awareness to Japanese whalers deep on the Antarctic, this more obvious choice in the heart of a city to highlight the damage of fast fashion really does feel urgent.
Scent continues to be researched for use in controlling and dispersing crowds in ways that will surprise many (“odorless” materials that your olfactory system will engage in). So the stink bombs will continue to be refined, as will mechanisms able to detect the odors when they are red flags. In particular there are olfactory systems being researched that might smell ill-health from our urine (placed conveniently in the toilet like an Oura ring but monitoring our urine).
Meanwhile, remember that while the stink bombs have a momentary lapse of discomfort and disorientation, please, please, please visit your local transfer/garbage station then do a deep audit of your consumer choices. The smells there are worse than a stink bomb, and the reality of refuse that needs to be digested by our planet hits home hard. Reuse, recycle and instead of buying new clothes or shoes buy a book from here for under your arm, or spritz a new smell from your local niche perfumer who makes their “perfumes” from their lab at home. Also what this for a smart, fact-filled and shocking overview of the issue. Peace with your purse, will with your wallet and stay alert with your nose:)
Popular components found in stink bombs:
- Dipropylene glycol
- Thioglycolic acid
- Hexanoic acid
- N-methylmorpholine
- p-cresyl isovalerate
- Ammonium sulfide
- Raw egg
- Milk
- White Vinegar
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Odorbet 
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