Way to go Ambiguous-Keywords-"doesn't leach" SIGG

As you may have heard, there is quite the SIGG controversy going on in the "ecosphere" right now, and although I was going to blog about my toilet (don't worry- that post is coming!!), SIGG drama kinda trumps my throne greenification (just barely though!).

Over the past few months Andrew and I have made huge leaps in the water bottle usage area. Prior to this spring, I was NEVER a water drinker, least of all from a water bottle. I'm not sporty and don't enjoy drinking water. I drink coffee. YUM. In any case, I decided a while back that it was time for me to jump on the water bottle bandwagon for my yoga practice. I did some research and basically found this:

SIGG although made in Switzerland (not exactly local!) and very pretty, required a coating (as aluminum is toxic) that is sprayed on at extremely hot temperatures which is created from a substance that, on their website at the time, they indicated was a "trade secret" which was not disclosed. SKETCHY. (check out my whole post here).

As a result, Andrew and I both bought Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel water bottles; a North American company that has third party certification monitoring the production of their bottles in China... and seemed much more transparent.

In the past few weeks SIGG has been found out: that "trade secret" lining in their bottles pre-2008? Yep, definitely contained BPA. As water drinkers and yogis cry out in dismay about their "trickery", SIGG claims that they have never claimed that their lining was BPA free...only that it doesn't LEACH BPA. As of 2008, they claim to have transitioned to BPA-FREE liners and that previous information regarding BPA in liners was available to the public. Check out the CEO's statement for more details.

I have to say that for a company whose jump in popularity has been the result of the BPA scare, claiming that they honestly believed they weren't being misleading is a joke. Consumers can see clever marketing and semantics when they read it, and implying that it's the consumers' own fault for falsly interpreting obviously vague wording is insulting. Further, making information available to the public and this information being readily accessible are two completely different things. Due to all the greenwashing going around lately, trusting the information provided so that consumers can make informed decisions is essential.

A spark of light... supposedly SIGG is offering to replace all pre-2008, BPA-lined water bottles for free. Although I couldn't find any information directly on their website, an article in the theconsumerist.com claims that if you send in your old SIGG bottle (you pay the postage) they will replace it. Seems like a fair solution... if you'd like to continue trusting a company who dodges responsibility for obviously ambiguous marketing.

Regardless of the "nice-factor" (re: damage control) of their offer, what are they going to DO with all those returned bottles? As there is no official information regarding this volunteer return program on their website, and the standard form email response doesn't mention anything, how do I know that the returned bottle was recycled? And honestly, how can I recycle a SIGG water bottle myself? Due to their "special" liners (the new and the old) are they accepted in local recycling facilities? I'm assuming that in order to appropriately recycle the aluminum, you'd have to separate the liner... which a SIGG water bottle differs enough from a beer or pop can.

Andrew and I LOVE our Klean Kanteens and I have actually been drinking 800ml of water... a day! There is no "metal" taste (which SIGG claims to happen with stainless steel bottles), they are super easy to clean and not at all heavy. Check out their response to the whole debacle. I am a fan of my Klean Kanteen and I know exactly what it's made of.

(our pretty water bottles hanging out with the strawberries, mine now has a sporty cap which makes a fun sqeaking noise!)

Ok, mini-rant aside, toilet greenification will be coming up shortly! Perhaps some calming Moon Salutations tonight...:)

Blessings and happy Tap Water Drinking!