BPA in SIGG Bottles — What's a Parent to Do?

Alexandra,
You've written about SIGG as being a good brand bottle to use in the past. What are you going to do now that they've admitted to using BPA in their bottles? I'm not sure what to do with the ones I have.
Best,
Sally (mom of three)

Dear Sally,

Thanks for the question. Crazy, right? But not entirely unexpected. It's been known for a while now that SIGG goes after any consumer group (EWG, OCA etc.) that infers their "proprietary" liner content contains BPA. They have also released reports proving that there are undetectable levels of BPA in their bottles. Why would they test for it and release reports about it if it weren't in there? Consumers who prefer total transparency and want to avoid plastic have long preferred stainless steel bottles to SIGG's lined-with-a-secret aluminum.

As of last week, SIGG says what's in there now (since August 2008 on the manufacturing side though this doesn't necessarily mean what has been on your store's shelf since 8/08) contains no BPA. So if you want to buy new, I guess you're ok with SIGG. The new liners are milky white, and the old ones look like brass, so peek in before purchase. But if you want not to support a company that knew about this all along, and switched linings a year ago and only announced it now (in a classic summer Friday news dump), there are plenty of other bottles in marketplace that are stainless steel only, made by companies that didn't pull this bizarre and disturbing game with information that should have been available to consumers from the get go.

For more information on this revelation, check out Treehugger, Treehugger again, Z Recommends, and SIGG's website.

While you're on SIGG's site, you can ask them to replace your old bottles, if you even want their new ones. I tested this, emailing them at LINERS@MYSIGG.com and asked for new bottles (full, pissed off disclosure: I have at least six). They wrote back in several hours (!) and offered to replace my old bottles with their new bottles, featuring their "EcoCare, BPA-free liner." The irony in reading the email was stinging -- I bought the bottles in the first place because I thought they were BPA-free. To get the ones they're saying are now BPA free, I have to return my old bottles so they can repurpose/recycle them. They emailed me a return form. Once they get the old bottles, they'll issue me a gift certificate pin code good toward the purchase of replacement bottles, including the shipping.