Reusable Water Bottles Part 2- BPA

We can't really talk about water bottles without talking about BPA. In addition to the huge downside of endless production, transport, and disposal of one-use water bottles, BPA in the plastic bottles is the other big concern. Personally, I think that BPA concern has gone a little alarmist, but Canada’s concern about it really has me thinking. And really, it is so easy to dramatically lessen my exposure to it (by not heating in plastic and reducing amount of food and drink consume from cans and plastic packages) that I see no reason not to.

If you are looking for some good reads about BPA, here are my favorite articles:

http://www.cspinet.org/new/200804021.html
http://www.ewg.org/reports/bisphenola
http://children.webmd.com/news/20080130/hot-liquid-ups-bpa-from-plastic-bottles
http://www.healthobservatory.org/library.cfm?refID=77083 (this is a PDF)

BPA concerns or no, a reusable bottle is better for the environment. Okay, actually a few dissenters say that the manufacture of a reusable bottle is better than a disposable, but I haven’t actually seen anything tangible on that. Plus, when you add in endless transport energy expenditure and endless trash or recycling expenditure of disposables, that is a hug, nasty cycle. So, I’m sticking with consuming less that is disposable; reducing trumps recycling any day!

Reusable Water Bottles Part 1- Bottles

I see the two main contenders for reusable water bottles as Sigg and Kleen Kanteen (KK).

Sigg bottles are made of aluminum with a resin liner. Some people are concerned with aluminum and a link to Alzheimer’s but this link is very dubious. It is so dubious, that I even dislike mentioning it, but it gets me to my second point which is that Siggs have a liner. So, aluminum really isn’t even a concern to begin with. But, some people are concerned about the liner leeching. Sigg claims is it 100% leech-free in testing. Although there is nothing proven bad about the aluminum or the liner, some people see this as a drawback. If you’d like some additional peace of mind, here is a letter from the CEO of Sigg on the liner issue: http://tinyurl.com/5na9r4 (a PDF) from the TreeHugger.com Blog.

Sigg bottles are made in Switzerland which has good environmental policies. Yay for eco-conscious manufacturing! The bottle is recyclable. Siggs come in a great variety of colors, sizes, and designs. They may be difficult to find, though, since online sales have been almost entirely suspended (only existing stock may be sold). They offer several different lid options.

Kleen Kanteen bottles are made of stainless steel which is not known to leech. The biggest downside to the KK is that it is manufactured in China. The good news is that KK claims that their bottles are manufactured eco-consciously, even in China. It is up to you to decide if you believe their claim or not. KKs come in a variety of sizes that are all the same width but vary in height. They have a wide mouth so that ice-cubes can be inserted. They also come in a few different solid colors. They are available both online and in stores. They offer several different lid options.

Both Sigg and Kleen Kanteen have excellent FAQ sections on their respective websites:

Sigg: http://www.mysigg.com/index.asp?ID=5&PageAction=Custom

Kleen Kanteen: http://www.kleankanteen.com/7faqs/faqs.html

Personally, in my house we have two Siggs and one Kleen Kanteen (see picture). I use the fun, patterned Siggs (one for work and one for the car) and D. uses the solid-colored Kleen Kanteen.

Camelbak (now) and Nalgene (soon) offer BPA-free plastic alternatives, but I see those as lesser options since neither (to my knowledge) make eco-conscious manufacturing claims, nor are their bottles recyclable at the end of their life. I also try to minimize purchasing new plastic products because of petroleum use concerns. So, Camelbak and Nalegne are out for me personally.

You might be wondering what this has to do with being green and cheap since these bottles aren't cheap. Well, normally I could care less about brand name, but this is one area where I have compromised and actually wanted the “real deal” even if it cost extra. Think about it this way: if you use your reusable bottle 5 days a week instead of disposable and a disposable costs $1 a day (out of a machine) your pricey bottle is paid for in one month.

But, be extra thrifty and ask for your bottle(s) as a gift. I got the two Siggs for my birthday and my husband got the KK for his birthday. Or, you could drink out of an emptied and washed glass jar. Really, you could!