04.09.08
I thought my Nalgene was good for me.
This morning I was watching The Today Show while at the gym, and a segment came on that caught my ear. It was about water bottles and how a chemical called Bisphenol-A that is in the plastic they are made out of is seriously harmful to your health. Apparently, if you reuse regular plastic water bottles and do things like put them in the dishwasher or microwave, a chemical leaches through the plastic and can be ingested. But it is at such small levels that people shouldn’t be too concerned. However, in Nalgene bottles and other similar plastic bottles, the leaching is more dangerous. It can cause developmental disorders in children, type 2 diabetes, and infertility. If the bottle is labeled on the bottom with a 7, it is more likely to leach BPA into your water. You can read more about this issue at The Green Guide. They offer some advice for people that already own bottles of this type. They say that you should “wash them by hand with mild dishwashing soap, not in the dishwasher, to avoid degrading the plastic and increasing leaching of BPA.”
I think that I am going to replace my Nalgene and other similar bottles altogether. I have my eye on a Sigg bottle, that is made from aluminium (so it’s light) and is non-leaching. They have tons of different styles and colors on their website. And I will absolutely be using glass bottles when I have children. Happy sipping!
Russell Heimlich said,
April 9, 2008 at 11:10 pm
Ha! I never wash my water cup!
Casey Verburg said,
August 13, 2008 at 7:25 am
Can I just tell you… my boss has three sig bottles, and loves them! But no worries, if you haven’t bought one yet they actually now sell them at Dick’s Sporting Goods… I have thought about buying my sister one!
Pammy said,
August 13, 2008 at 8:45 am
Yea I actually ended up getting a camelback water bottle. But I still want a Sigg bottle. I looked at Dick’s like a month ago and they didn’t have any… maybe online?
sandrar said,
September 10, 2009 at 9:45 am
Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog.
Cheers! Sandra. R.
Me said,
December 22, 2009 at 3:13 pm
if you can, find a stainless steel bottle. i know that aluminum is lighter but aluminum can leach into your food and has been linked to alzheimers — ew!
but i still think aluminum is better than plastic if stainless isn’t an option.
i wish someone would make a pyrex water bottle and a pyrex electric tea kettle!