For the past year or so, customers have been coming into REI and saying things like, "Aren't the Nalgene lexan water bottles unsafe? Don't they leach a chemical?" We would always confidently respond, "I don't think any conclusive studies have been done."
Well, last week, apparently, the studies became conclusive. We got an urgent email on Friday afternoon instructing us to pull all the hard lexan, #7 plastic bottles from our shelves. It wasn't a recall, but REI decided not to sell the bottles anymore because they contain (and possibly leach) BPA, or bisphenol-A.
Ok. So, here's the thing. For years, I've been using (and selling), the glorious Nalgene lexan bottle. Now they tell me that the plastic is leaching a chemical that can cause hormone damage. Great, just what I need. (Based on what we know from the current research, PC is most likely to leach BPA during its initial use and after prolonged use. Heat increases the likelihood of leaching as well. This fact is even scarier when you consider that most baby bottles are made with #7 BPA polycarbonate plastic.) Now that have replaced these bottles with a new "safer, BPA-free" plastic bottle, how do we know that this new plastic is safe? In 20 years, are they going to find that the new "safe" bottles leach a different chemical that could be even worse?
B and I own eight of the death bottles. The things are virtually indestrucible-- we've dropped them off climbs, down trails, strapped them to kayaks and basically used them everyday. Do we a) freak out like the rest of Portland seems to be doing and replace all of these bottles with the new ones? Or b) do we just keep living our lives the way we have? My vote is b. If the lexan doesn't kill me, won't the DEET in my bugspray or the chemicals on the fruit I buy do the job? I mean, seriously, isn't everything leaching some kind of chemical these days?
My doubt and concern is compounded with the possibility that all of these bottles are now going to line the landfill nearest you. And now that the green movement has over the past months convinced everyone to carry a reusable water bottle, will they all go back to one-use bottled water again?
Lots of questions, not enough answers yet.
2 comments:
Hey -- got here through Tesmer's blog. We met once when I visited in Portland. I'm still using my nalgene. It's well past it's initial use, so by this time I've already ingested the majority of the chemicals I will from it. This came through my inbox the other day:
A guy I know from Clif Bar teaches art at Mariner High School and is doing an art project with all the Nalgenes people are throwing away due to the latest research of their carcinogenic affects.
If you or anyone you know are throwing a Nalgene out- please mail it to Brent instead:
Brent Holland.
18128 36th Ave W #m-9
lynnwood , wa 98037
Please follow up directly with him if you have q’s: thewildcat80@hotmail.com
thanks!
NYT article about the nalgenes: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/18/business/18plastic.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
You can recycle those bottles at a plastics roundup put on by the Master Recyclers http://www.masterrecycler.org/plastic-recycling.php and use Sigg bottles, or another metal bottle. Kleen Kanteen, I don't quite trust. Responsibly made in China? I find that hard to believe. I stopped used plastic ones on my bike and love the metal. Water tastes way better. My 4 cents (inflation, ya' know).
Post a Comment