MEC Nixes Nalgenes
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12. 7.07
Mountain Equipment Coop, which dominates Canada's outdoor retailing scene and which helped make the Nalgene bottle a fashion statement, has given them the boot, because of growing concern about the gender bender chemical Bisphenol A in the polycarbonate plastic.
“The products have been pulled from the shelves and we're no longer selling them,” said Tim Southam, a spokesman for the retailer, which has 11 stores and annual sales of about $222-million. “We've been following this issue quite closely and it's one we've seen an increasing concern among some members.”
From the Globe and Mail: Environmental Defence, a Toronto group that has been lobbying Health Canada to ban bisphenol A from food and beverage uses, praised the retailer and said other companies should follow its lead.
“The fact that a retailer of this size, dealing in this volume of polycarbonate products, would make this decision should be a real wake-up call to other retailers,” Richard Smith, executive director of the group, said. ::Globe and Mail
More TreeHugger on Bisphenol A here.
Won't discontinuing the sale of reusable plastic bottles just encourage the use of much less environmentally friendly disposable plastic bottles? These have potentially toxic chemicals in them as well (although there is little evidence that the effects of low doses of these in any plastic bottle are harmful). They also require a lot of oil to produce and create massive amounts of waste.
What is an alternative to these bottles?
I dunno, this seems like an over reaction. There's probably a tonne of outdoorsy products that are worse, like tent patch solvents, stove fuels, etc. Splashing stove fuel on your hand is probably riskier than low doses of bisphenol A, which generally only leaches if the bottle is full of acidic liquid or harsh detergent. What about nasty ingredients in prepackaged camp meals?
Besides, maybe a little more estrogen in my diet will slow my hair loss!
brennan, stove fuels are unlikely to give your future kids Down's syndrome. Bisphenol-A is.
Guyot Designs (www.guyotdesigns.com) makes a bunch of stainless steel bottles. They have the same thread pattern as the Nalgene Bottles, so they use all the same accessories, but they made of steel.
Andrew, people buying these bottles have already made a decision to buy a reuseable bottle. Considering how many alternatives there are, I don't see any support for your assertion.
Andrew and Anonymous, there are lots of alternative bottles that folks can use: Guyot Designs makes really nice stainless steel bottles, Camelback makes a Bisephenol-A free plastic bottle, and even Nalgene's original HDPE bottles (the ones that are more translucent than transparent) are all "safe". For me personally, I prefer the Guyot Designs stainless steel bottle for it's looks, and because stainless steel is more inert than any plastic blend. Drinks taste and look better, though it's a little heavy for serious backpacking. On the trail I use HDPE bottles and a camelback bladder.
Andrew and Anonymous, there are lots of alternative bottles that folks can use: Guyot Designs makes really nice stainless steel bottles, Camelback makes a Bisephenol-A free plastic bottle, and even Nalgene's original HDPE bottles (the ones that are more translucent than transparent) are all "safe". For me personally, I prefer the Guyot Designs stainless steel bottle for it's looks, and because stainless steel is more inert than any plastic blend. Drinks taste and look better, though it's a little heavy for serious backpacking. On the trail I use HDPE bottles and a camelback bladder.
Sigg also makes bottles that are safe. Many outdoor stores are now carrying them and they are biodegradable.
How about the "Klean Kanteen" as a replacement?
They're made out of stainless steel. No worries about chemical contamination there + unless it gets a bullet hole through it, it would last the rest of your life and then some.