Canada Bans Plastic Bottles Tied to Health Concerns

[Good Times]

This is big news from our buddies up north. Because of this Nalgene has issued a statement that they will be
phasing out the production of its Outdoor line of polycarbonate containers that include the chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA).

OTTAWA — The Canadian government moved Friday to ban polycarbonate infant bottles as it officially declared one of their chemical ingredients toxic.

The move by the departments of health and environment is the first action taken by any government against bisphenol-a, or B.P.A., a chemical that mimics a human hormone and that has induced long-term changes in animals exposed to it through tests.

“We’re not waiting to take action to protect our people and our environment from the long-term effects of bisphenol-a,” the environment minister, John Baird, told a news conference.

The most immediate impact of the toxic designation will be a ban on the importation and sale of baby bottles made with clear, hard polycarbonate. That move will not take effect until the end of a 60-day discussion period, however.

The health minister, Tony Clement, told reporters that after reviewing 150 research papers on B.P.A. and conducting its own studies, his department concluded that the chemical posed the most risk for newborns and children up to the age of 18 months. The minister said that animal studies suggest “there will be behavioral and neural symptoms later in life.”

Not only are potentially unsafe exposure levels to B.P.A. lower for children than adults, Mr. Clement said that cleaning infant bottles with boiling causes the release of the chemical into their contents.

He suggested that the government had planned to also ban the use of epoxies made with B.P.A. and sprayed into most infant formula cans as a lining. But, he added that no practical alternative is currently available.

Both ministers, however, insisted that current research showed that adults who use food and beverage containers made with B.P.A. related plastics were not at risk.

“For the average Canadian consuming things in those products, there is no risk today,” Mr. Clement said.

The government will, however, begin monitoring the B.P.A. exposure of 5,000 people between now and 2009. If research indicates a danger to adults, the government will take additional action, the officials said.

In addition to its concerns about infants and young children, the government said that its B.P.A. review found that even low levels of the chemical can harm fish and other aquatic life forms over time.

If the baby bottle ban takes effect on June 19, an event that can only be derailed by significant new evidence, it may have little practical effect.

Reports earlier this week indicating that the government would declare B.P.A. toxic prompted a rush by most of Canada’s major retailers to remove food-related B.P.A. products from their stores. The company’s largest druggist, Shoppers Drug Mart, took the step on Friday at its 1,080 stores shortly before the announcement.

Nalgene, the company that turned polycarbonate bottles from a piece of lab equipment into a popular drink container, has also decided to drop the plastic and use others plastics that do not contain B.P.A.

In Washington on Friday, Senator Charles E. Schumer, a Democrat from New York, said in a statement that he intended to introduce a bill that would create a widespread ban on B.P.A.-related plastics. It would prohibit their use in all children’s products as well as any product use to carry food or beverages for adults.

Source: NY Times

Nalgene to focus on existing non-BPA bottles and recently announced Everyday line; Ensures consumers get the bottle that fits their lifestyle

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (April 18, 2008) – In response to consumer demand, Nalgene® will phase out production of its Outdoor line of polycarbonate containers that include the chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA) over the next several months, it announced today. Nalgene’s existing product mix, including the recently launched Everyday line, already features a number of containers made from materials that do not contain BPA.

“We have always been focused on responding to the needs and concerns of our customers,” said Steven Silverman, general manager of the Nalgene business. “With 10 different product lines in several different materials, we have the largest bottle offering on the market today. By eliminating containers containing BPA from our consumer product mix, our customers can have confidence that their needs are being met.”

The company recently unveiled its Everyday line, an assortment of bottles manufactured with Eastman’s Tritan™ copolyester. The line includes favorites such as the OTG (“On the Go”), the iconic 32-ounce Wide Mouth and the Grip-N-Gulp sippy cup. Tritan is impact resistant, withstands a wide range of temperatures and does not contain BPA. The new Everyday products are already available in stores and will be available through www.nalgene-outdoor.com next month.

To help consumers easily determine the bottle and material that is right for them, Nalgene also recently launched Nalgene Choice™, an online information resource at www.nalgenechoice.com. Nalgene Choice provides consumers with information to help them understand the features and benefits of Nalgene’s wide assortment of products and materials. The result – individuals can choose the product that is right for them.

“Today, everyone from hikers and outdoor enthusiasts to commuters and kids on the go are using Nalgene products to reduce the use of disposable bottles and containers,” said Silverman. “Based on all available scientific evidence, we continue to believe that Nalgene products containing BPA are safe for their intended use. However, our customers indicated they preferred BPA-free alternatives and we acted in response to those concerns.”

Source: Nalgene Outdoor

This is all fine and dandy but I've got quite a collection of these so called "tainted" Nalgene bottles so what am I to do with these? I've picked up most of them from REI so it's not a biggie but it looks like I'll be starting a new collection of new bottles.

On a similar note here's a few other alternatives besides the plastic bottles.

SIGG Bottles (Website)


Klean Kanteen (website)


Definitely a pricey alternative but way cool

[MTL_4runner]

We just tossed out all our baby bottles because if this. It will be interesting to see what studies come of it later but in the meantime we're not doing any experimenting on our kids.

[Good Times]

I think the biggest concern is if you add warm/hot liquid that can change the characteristics of the container. Otherwise I don't see it being any problems with cold liquids. At any rate we'll be upgrading our containers with something else soon. Those alum containers are a pretty penny so... doh!

btw good call on tossing out the baby bottles.. I sure wouldn't want to be doing any experiment on my kids (future of course).

[Bob98SR5]

i dont think its a bad idea at all if such harmful chemicals are present

[oly884]

I remember reading something a while back about concerns regarding this. Lance, you're right, warm liquids seem to be of a larger concern in these types of bottles (which babies are given warm milk, so they are most at risk). Cold liquids do not aid in the leaching of the chemicals in the plastic as much as warm liquids do, but it still happens.