by Alicia MacLeay
A 2008 SIGG bottle
Many people are feeling misled, angry, betrayed, and confused after it was confirmed in an article by outdoor industry publication snews.net this month that popular SIGG bottles made before August of 2008 included BPA in their proprietary liners.
SIGG and Laken now both admit that their aluminum water bottles manufactured before August 2008 contained the much-maligned endocrine disruptor Bisphenol A (BPA) in the liner. All bottles now produced by SIGG and Laken use a new liner that is certified BPA- and phthalate-free.
It’s important to note that every manufacturer of aluminum water bottles had BPA in their epoxy liners until last year, when SIGG and Laken began using a new BPA-free liner (stainless steel bottles have none). One presumes that aluminum bottles sold by all other companies still contain BPA.
So, unless you’re sure you’ve bought a new version of a SIGG or Laken assume your aluminum bottles have BPA (so do the cans in your pantry, by the way). Since both versions of the Laken and SIGG bottles were available for sale past August 2008, refer to this info for help identifying your bottle.
SIGG never claimed to be BPA-free in their materials, but instead very carefully positioned their bottles and liner as a non-toxic, water-based, non-leaching, and healthy, “green” alternative to polycarbonate plastic bottles. Many inferred that the bottles were BPA-free, even when they were not, which the company knew as early as 2006. Many others were suspicious of the company’s unwillingness to divulge its “proprietary” materials when asked point-blank if the bottles contained BPA.
Regardless, in 2007 and 2008 SIGG knowingly sold a record number of pricey aluminum water bottles containing BPA to a BPA-in-polycarbonate-plastic-scared public.
There’s still much disagreement about the safety of BPA, but personally, I’m tired of all the dodging and confusion. I’m sticking with stainless steel.
For more information:
"Is Your Aluminum Bottle BPA-Free?"
SNEWS's "Aluminum bottles you are selling may NOT be BPA-free" (subscription required)
