Do Sigg Bottles Leech BPA into Your Water?
I felt like I was talking to a politician while reading this Treehugger post that was supposed to tell me if Sigg Aluminum bottles leech BPA into your water. Instead of offering a simple yes/no, they explain that the Sigg bottle liners are made with a super secret polymer and independent testing shows that they leach no detectable level of BPA into your water. They don’t go as far as saying that they don’t use BPA, but they go to great lengths to ensure us that their bottle liners won’t produce a measurable (parts per billion) amount of BPA into your water after two years of use. Sigg’s CEO even said that they’re looking into alternative bottle liners since their Swiss manufacturer won’t disclose the makeup of his secret formula.
So, while writing this, I’m actually drinking out of Stanley Canteen (Lexan). After comparing Kleen Kanteen users to tinfoil hat wearing UFO freaks for so long, I’m thinking about stealing a pint glass to use for water at home. What about you guys, are you giving up your Nalgenes?
By Rocky Thompson- rockythompson
This entry was posted on WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2008 - 10:05 A.M. and is filed under Gear, Backpacking, Camping. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:37 am
Yep, I have given them up. It’s funny that you brought them up as I currently have a large bag of about 8 Nalgenes that I’m returning to my local camping store as they are accepting returns.
Cheers,
David H. Johnston
http://www.paddlinginstructor.com
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:39 am
So drinking out a plastic (or Nalgene) bottle is outrageous. But wrapping your mouth around the plastic mouthpiece on those Kleen Kanteens is ok? Lame. Some day these obsessive people will realize we are all equally healthy/sick regardless of the BPA leaching crisis. If you are so scared of plastic, you had better grow your own food and catch your own water. The food industry uses many types of plastic for many purposes. And a lot of it touches your food!
My parents tell me about the good ole days of breaking thermometers to play with the mercury. Now if one breaks, they call in the hazmat team and vacate an area the size of a football field. Are the kids today any healthier without mercury exposure? They don’t seem so.
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:42 am
After switching to a Klean Canteen I’m amazed that i’ve never gotten the nasty ass smell that you get when you leave water in your Nalgene for a few days. If you put beer/coffee/wine/whatever in the bottle all it needs is a quick rinse with water and it won’t retain any of the smells or tastes. It got to the point where I would need to bleach my Nalgene once a week if i forgot to put it in the fridge or empty it at the end of the day.
If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got an appointment to be fitted for a new foil hat.
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:57 am
Ben, The mouth and lid on my KK are steel. There’s no plastic involved. From the KK site:
“All caps and lids are interchangeable with all sizes of Klean Kanteens and we only use non-leaching Polypropylene #5 (PP#5) in our caps, adapters and sippy spouts. Stainless steel loop and flat caps are available for those who prefer that only stainless come in contact with their beverage.”
I think the big issue is when food/water is in the plastic for long periods of time or under very high temperatures.
I prefer my water to be BPA free when I’m washing down all those lead paint chips I eat for breakfast.
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Adam,
Thanks for posting that reply! I thought that the caps for Klean Kanteens were made of non-leaching plastic, but was not sure.
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Switched to Tritan for now. May try to steal a leather pouch from a hippy for my next container…or just drink rum 24X7.
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:58 pm
I’ve quit plastic as much as possible. I bought one of those mega-size Monster Energy drinks with the screw cap and am using it for my water bottle. It is thin aluminum and crinkly, and yes it will eventually fail, but it is aluminum and recycled and not plastic. I like that. I’m quite happy with it. I figured if I did the old duct tape wrap thing around the outside it might help with the crinklyness.
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:20 pm
I have switched to a bottle of jack.
April 23rd, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Oh good. Forsake the ‘ol Siggs and Nalgenes which have a POSSIBILITY of leaking BPA into your water, and go to the Kleen Kanteene, which is made out of. . . . STAINLESS STEEL?!!?!!! Stainless steel contains Chromium which is considered a hazardous material: “Chromium(VI) is an established human carcinogen” according to wikipedia. Maybe it’s not the same type of Chromium as in Stainless Steel, but I’d rather not take my chances. . . .
April 23rd, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Which one will get me the most poon?
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:07 pm
To David H. Johnston: what store is accepting your returned Nalgene’s?
To adam: you can’t expect any material to not retain some trace of whatever you put in it and not detect it. I use two Nalgene bottles. One never has anything in it but plain water and the other get anything and everything. Yes, you do have to wash them out after each use. Also, I don’t expect water to taste very good after it’s been sitting in any container for more than a day.
To sam: whatever makes you good looking and rich after she drinks it.
I was at REI today and they took all the lexan, polycarbonate containers off the shelf. There was the white plastic containers and a few of the new copolyester containers Nalgene is calling their Everyday line. What ticked me off was that they didn’t have the wide mouth 1 liter bottles in the new copolyester.
What’s up with that?
Also, Nalgene should have a trade in dealio where they give you a couple bucks off each new copolyester container you buy if you trade in one made from the deadly old lexan.
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:14 pm
If people could see the inside of the pipes they are getting the water from in the first place, the plastic cup would be the least of their worries…
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:56 pm
adam said: “It got to the point where I would need to bleach my Nalgene once a week if i forgot to put it in the fridge or empty it at the end of the day.”
Putting bleach into the nalgenes actually makes more BPA come out of the plastic. if I remember correctly. I work at an outdoor store and every day people come in looking for the kleen kanteen’s or SIGG’s. I think the metal water bottles are nice stuff but really pricey (2.5 or 3 times as much as the Lexan Nalgenes), but I have several old white Nalgene HDPE bottles that i’ve used for years and still use. As for the metal is more durable than Lexan argument, most people who come in and by a new bottle do so because they lost their old one, not that it ever broke.
I’d say much of this is overblown, you breath in way more toxic junk from the cars driving around as you bike to work. Personally, I’m getting sick of talking to customers about the safety of their water bottles. If you really fear it that much, go ahead and buy a $25 water bottle to fell all warm and fuzzy inside cuz us outdoor store types have no problem taking more of your money
I found a good amount of referenced information here http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/technical/bpaInfo.html
Of course you can never really trust ol’ Big Brother….
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:34 pm
If you’re going as far as ditching your Nalgene because of BPA, you better quit canned food cold turkey as well. The linings in canned food put higher levels of BPA in your food.
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Hmmmm. Hypocrisy rules. REI has pulled Nalgene’s Lexan bottles off of their shelves, but they have retained their own REI-store-brand Chefware made of the same, aforementioned Lexan. There is much more likelihood of hot foods or liquids coming in contact with dishes and cups and utencils than with your standard Nalgene recipient of 40-degree filtered water from a stream. IF heat is a factor in BPA exposure from Lexan, AND IF BPA is as bad as some suspect, REI has pulled the wrong products. There is no explanation on REI’s website nor anything meaningful obtained from phoned inquiries to them. Maybe a better interpretation is that “Panic Rules.” This is disappointing to a long-term REI member and customer.
April 24th, 2008 at 10:27 am
stainless klean kanteen is the ticket. it is lightweight for being steel, easy to clean, and contributes no taste. they cost more than a nalgene, but for my everyday bottle, I use the stainless. I will not throw away my nalgen lexans, but will slowly lose them to attrition.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Get real.
Those sissy SS containers aren’t any better for you health-wise than any other container outside of something made of glass. Everything plastic or metal is going to give off some trace of something toxic. Oh the SS one have some sort of top-secret lining that won’t harm you? Yeah, right. Pony kisses and butterfly hugs.
Besides, with those SS bottles you can’t see what or how much you have and you need a bottle brush to really clean them. The wide-mouth nalgenes just go in the dishwasher.
Wimps.
April 24th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
I love my Guyot Designs Stainless Steel Bottle. It has a wide mouth like a Nalgene, but is bpa free. Its awesome
April 24th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
25 bucks for one of those? Do you wash and wax the thing too?
Sheesh, what a rip.
April 24th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
The statistic I read was 95% of Americans have detectable BPA in their bodies. Since there’s no way 95% of Americans drink out of Nalgenes, I’d say there’s a lot more sources out there - can linings on a variety of cans, the polycarbonate water jugs in your office water cooler, and who knows what else. Does one bottle make a difference? I don’t know, but I’ll probably toss the free Backcountry.com Nalgenes my kids are using. What a windfall for Nalgene as everyone chucks their indestructible Lexan bottles for the new Tritan ones.
April 24th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
So it begins…
Nalgene sports bottle maker sued over toxic claims
Wed Apr 23, 2008 9:24pm EDT
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A California mother sued Nalge Nunc International Corp, claiming the company knew, but downplayed risks, that a toxic substance in its popular Nalgene plastic sports bottles could leach into the bottles’ contents and sicken consumers.
The case, filed on Tuesday, is believed to be the first consumer class action over the use of Bisphenol A, or BPA, in plastic sports bottles since Canada moved to ban baby bottles containing the substance and the U.S. government expressed concern over its safety last week.
Nalge Nunc, a unit of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc, said on Friday it will phase out production of its Outdoor line of polycarbonate containers that include BPA over the next several months.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc also said on Friday it will pull baby bottles and other products made with BPA from its Canada stores immediately and phase the items out of its U.S. stores next year.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Sacramento, accuses Nalge Nunc of continuing to assert that BPA is safe long after dozens of studies linked the substance to hormone disruptions, infertility, early puberty, and cancer.
The lawsuit was brought by Lani Felix-Lozano, who said she bought the company’s reusable beverage containers for herself and her two daughters, now ages 11 and 13, for several years.
“They address the issue of BPA in their bottles (on their Web site); they cite the (Food and Drug Administration) stating that they see no problem with it. The problem is they didn’t cite the many other studies that show there is a risk and there is a great concern about the issue,” attorney Harold Hewell, who represents Felix-Lozano, said.
The lawsuit does not describe any physical ailment suffered by the plaintiffs and seeks unspecified damages.
A spokeswoman for Nalge Nunc could not be reached for comment late on Wednesday.
Industry groups and some scientists defended BPA’s safety, saying there has been no clear corroboration between studies on animals showing BPA to be harmful even at low levels, and risks to human health. (Reporting by Gina Keating; editing by Carol Bishopric)
© Thomson Reuters 2008. All rights reserved. Users may download and print extracts of content from this website for their own personal and non-commercial use only. Republication or redistribution of Thomson Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters and its logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Thomson Reuters group of companies around the world. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests.
April 25th, 2008 at 8:43 am
Sorry to beat this dead horse again but I was out all day yesterday and didn’t see the myriad of responses.
It’s my understanding that the toxic chemicals in steel are much less likely to be leeched into your water, the steel must be at or near melting point for these chemical changes to happen where boiling water can and will make chemical changes to your nalgene plastic.
I’m well aware that any container you pour one liquid in will retain some of that flavor. My point was that if i use a nalgene for holding my coffee in the morning and then give it a quick rinse, I’ve still got a coffee flavor the rest of the day. With a stainless container, I can give it a quick rinse with water and not have any traces of coffee right after.
I’m not chastising your precious nalgenes, just saying it’s a nice benefit of steel over plastic.
It’s a preference, I thought the steel bottles were for loonies before I tried one and was impressed with it.
That is all!
April 25th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
This is from REI:
Me:
Member email xxxxxxxxx@aol.com
Question I need to know if Nalgene will be making the 1 liter, wide-mouth
bottles out of the new material.
Them:
Hello,
Thank you for choosing REI for your outdoor equipment needs.
Nalgene will be making a 1 liter bottle out of the Triton material which is BPA
free. We will be carrying these bottles, however, we do not have an estimated
time of arrival as of yet.
All of the bottles currently online and in our stores are BPA free, however. To
view our bottle assortment, click on the following link:
http://www.rei.com/category/5760748
Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.
Rosemary
REI Product Information Specialist
Me again:
Thanks for the quick reply.
One more question: Do you know if the new 1 liter bottle will be of the same
dimensions as the old lexan design? Specifically, will the the opening be the
same and will it work with my various splash guards, handles and sleeves that I
own?
Kindest regards,
xxxxxxx
Them again:
Yes, the new Nalgene bottles will have the same dimensions and be compatible
with the same accessories.
Thank you for choosing REI as your gear and clothing resource.
Paul
REI Product Information Specialist
April 25th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
I will continue to proudly drink out of any Nalgene. You got be to kidding me if you think that something so minor is really screwing you up; if anything it is probably making your immune system stronger. you should move to a isolated bubble and have fun there.
April 29th, 2008 at 11:32 am
SIGG Bottles. Just to clarify, the testing done on the SIGG bottles was not what I consider independent, it was paid for by SIGG. HHHMMMMMMM
Debby
April 30th, 2008 at 7:14 am
Ahhh, sweet sweet lawsuits, and it will end up the best kind of lawsuit–the class action lawsuit. Where because the class is so large, you can expect to get a $1.00 coupon for a new BPA Free containter from Nalgene, while the attorneys involved will pull in $10,000,000 or more, and Nalgene will be financially hosed. But at least that woman has the bragging rights of being the puppet/mouthpiece for this particular class action. BRAVO. I hope she also refused to get her kids immunized (possible autism link), she may also want to sterilize them each day with a full body hand sanitizer bath.
All of these products we didn’t know were killing us, and yet we all still live so long that we’re clogging up the healthcare industry with Medicare patients. I’ve heard the babyboomers are going to crush it in the next few years. Me I’ll keep drinking Tab sometimes, I’ll drink out of whatever containers I happen to come by, I’ll smell the popcorn when it comes out of the microwave (popcorn lung?) and who knows, perhaps I’ll start eating fugu (deadly puffer fish) on a weekly basis!
May 2nd, 2008 at 12:03 am
I hear those cigarette things might not be too good for you either. You might want to find some time between huffing freshly microwaved popcorn and drinking hot tea from your Nalgene to smoke a few.
May 14th, 2008 at 6:25 am
I see no reason to get rid of things that I already paid for. That said, you won’t see me running to the store any time son to cash in on Klean Kanteens because whether Nalgenes take a few weeks off my life or not, the social suicide that comes with a Klean Kanteen would just be too much.