Nalgene to drop BPA

Articles, Consumer Protection — By forcechange on April 21, 2008 2:30 am

In response to consumer concerns over the presence of bisphenol-a in their products, Nalgene, the manufacturer of the popular plastic water bottle has announced they will no longer be selling products that contain the chemical.   This decision comes on the heels of reports that the Canadian government is on the verge of declaring BPA “toxic.”

 

The good news for hippies and other lovers of the ubiquitous “Nalgene bottle” is that the company has found a suitable alternative for the chemical that shares many of the same properties as BPA, such as shatter-resistance, but has not been found to cause health problems. 

 

Unfortunately, this alternative is apparently not a viable option for replacing the BPA currently found inside aluminum food and beverage cans.  This plastic lining inside the cans is used to protect the contents from taking on a metallic taste and to extend their shelf life.  A spokesman for the North American Metal Packaging Alliance, an industry group in favor of keeping the cans as they are, stated that there is no evidence that these linings expose humans to significant amounts of BPA and that there is currently no viable alternative.

 

Hat tip: Grist.org