free scribbles

The Latest on Bisphenol A

Over the past month significant coverage has been devoted to the latest news about bisphenol A and its effects on humans.  Numerous studies have been conducted in the past and advocacy groups have taken stand on one side or the other.  The debate therefore ending with an inconclusive stalemate.  And while I'm late to write on the topic, better late than never.  It has been an issue that I've followed closely over the last couple of year as studies refute studies on a bimonthly basis and written on several times. 

Nalgene, the ubiquitous water bottle manufacturer, has seen the bulk of mentions due to its stance of continued manufacturing until conclusive evidence forced them to rethink there position.  Well, apparently that time has come as the company announced that they will begin a retailer recall of their product, looking to replace the polycarbonate line with a BPA free alternative. 

Two significant actions led to this recall, Health Canada declared that BPA was harmful to humans and further publication validating that BPA had been directly linked to breast cancer and early onset puberty in girls coming from the National Institutes of Health.   

The bottomline on this issue seems to be that of concession as Nalgene decided to go with the times and eliminate products with BPA materials.   It will be interesting to see if Sigg's profits increase in the upcoming months or if Nalgene will be able to get their alternatives in to market quicker than expected.   

While they are the most popular brand for water bottles, they are not alone in using polycarbonate, be cautious when using other plastic containers, especially if you have a baby.  We've just begun phasing away from polycarbonate bottles as my wife as been picking up new ones made of polyethylene bases, which are devoid of the harmful materials.

A Question about Water...

This is an issue near and dear to my heart as I have written about twice (especially since the topic is still highly researched and seemingly contradicting study results come out every six months). 

I am an advocate of both Sigg and Nalgene water bottles as valuable tools in the reduction of the popular consumption of valuable resources. 

Please take the survey at Treehugger and let's see where the world stands. How do you take your water?

No More Polycarbonates: Sigg Bottles!

"Time to Pack in the Polycarbonates"  - Treehugger posted about several studies that came out recently that once again raise up the red flags.  Nalgene bottles are once again bad for you.  I wrote on this topic back in November, hoping that more suitable plastic options would be closer down the pike.  But, it seems that the only changes we have discovered are bad.

The two studies, one conducted at Duke University and the other at the University of Missouri, both found that bisephenol A, a common chemical found in the plastic leeches out and continued exposure has ill effects.  The Missouri study found that in men, it has been linked to increased breast size and decreased sperm count.  Women have been known to develop breast cancer and earlier puberty.   The Duke study, which tested mice, found that exposure in the womb leads to cancer, obesity, and diabetes.  This causes further alarm when you think about also feeding your child via a plastic bottle. 

But what alternatives are there? 

There is a glimmer for expecting mothers out there who are really worried and want to take immediate action.  About 4 months ago, my wife switched from Nalgenes to Sigg bottles and I have since converted several others to the bottle that is actually older than the Nalgene, but newer to the "green scene."

Made from a single piece of metal that is pressed into shape and coated on the inside with a flavor and bacteria reduction chemical, Sigg bottles look cool and satisfy the need to travel and reuse.  While no option has been proven to be 100% safe, it certainly begs further investigation by those interested.

You can buy them at mysigg.com