I hate to sound jaded, but I had a sinking feeling that my jazzy aluminum SIGG bottle was a little too good and squeaky clean to be true. If the inside of your SIGG brand aluminum bottle has a coppery gold liner like mine does (see the top right image), then you should definitely retire your bottle. It was just revealed that all SIGG bottles manufactured before August 2008 were made with a gold lining that contains trace amounts of BPA (Bisphenol A), which is a hazardous organic compound that disrupts the human endocrine system and can lead to very serious health concerns. Many of us invested in SIGG bottles thinking that we were taking out an insurance policy of sorts (both for our own health and that of our planet's) so this latest bit of news is rather distressing.
Now that they've fessed up, they seem to be trying to make amends with their offer to replace old SIGG bottles with a new versions that are equipped with their improved "EcoCare Liner". Personally, I'm just a little bit hesitant to trust that this liner will be any safer, but for those of you who want to give it a whirl, just send an e-mail to liners@mysigg.com informing them that you have an old BPA SIGG bottle that you'd like a replacement for. While they request that consumers mail in their old bottles at their own expense, they will supposedly send a new one out to you at no cost. I'm wondering what everyone here thinks about this turn of events. Are you thinking more and more about using your cupped hands to get a good drink of water instead of test driving yet another iffy portable bottle?
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HERE'S AN UPDATE:
I did contact SIGG last week via e-mail and finally got a response from them today:
"At this time we cannot offer you a refund for your bottles, however we understand your concern and will gladly replace your bottle[s] with brand new SIGG bottles featuring our EcoCare, BPA free liner. We ask that you return your old bottles to us as proof of purchase and so that we may recycle them. Please confirm you have the old liners in all bottles being returned to us by visiting http://mysigg.com/liner - New liner bottles, or stainless steel bottles returned to us will only be returned to you and slow down the replacement process significantly. Please print and fill this out and ship the bottle[s] back to us. Upon receipt, we will issue you a gift certificate pin code good toward the purchase of replacement bottles on mysigg.com, this will include the shipping. No need to return any tops or the caps currently on your bottles, as these are BPA free and may come in handy as extras when you receive your replacement[s]. We enclose a mailing label with the appropriate RMA, please USE THIS shipping label on the outside of your package so that we may expedite the processing of your return. Failure to use this label will cause your package to be misdirected in our warehouse, and seriously delay your replacement. Please note that this mailing label does not include postage for the bottles you are returning. We are sorry for the inconvenience. You may choose to keep your current bottle as they have been proven not to leach, [http://mysigg.com/bulletin/testing.html] but if you want to upgrade your bottle[s], you will have to bear the cost of returning it to us. Thank you in advance for your kind understanding in this regard. If you have any questions, please hit reply to this email [liners@mysigg.com] and let us know."
Posted by Anita Quincy - August 27, 2009 06:11 PM
That is very frustrating! Thank you for the information to replace my bottle!
Posted by Elizah Leigh - August 27, 2009 11:34 PM
Wow. I had no idea that there was any problem with SIGG bottles. I've been drinking all of my water out of two different patterned SIGGS ever since I retired my rigid Nalgene plastic bottle. I remember feeling so relieved that I was finally doing a good thing for my body....grrrrr, I guess I was wrong this whole time. It's really frustrating... I just peeked inside both bottles and they're definitely the deep gold color in the photo above. Thanks for the e-mail link, but maybe it's time to go back to a simple glass. They're not made with BPA, are they?
Posted by Diana Hickman - August 28, 2009 01:10 AM
Well there's $20 down the drain.Seriously how hard is it to create an eco friendly water bottle? First I read about Fiji Water basically becoming the Nike of the water industry and now this. How about Kleen Kanteen? Are they ok?
Posted by Linda Lucille - August 28, 2009 01:31 AM
I just found this info on Kleen Kanteen's website. Sometimes, I think I should just stop reading altogether because the more I learn, the more I realize just how screwed up everything is. I'm not happy with the aluminum-Alzheimer's connection:
"While aluminum is lightweight, it can leach toxins and chemicals when it gets hot or comes in contact with anything acidic. Studies have also linked aluminum exposure to Alzheimer's disease. To ensure that the drinks inside aluminum bottles are safe, the bottles must be lined with something.
The most common materials used to line aluminum bottles include plastic or baked-on epoxy, both of which can leach BPA and other toxic chemicals or can get scratched, exposing the aluminum underneath. Ceramic is another material used to line aluminum bottles, but it's more rigid and can crack.
We chose 18/8, food-grade stainless steel instead of aluminum or plastic because the metal is inherently safe and toxin-free. Stainless steel is made of many elements and minerals that come from the earth, including some of the very same minerals recommended by the FDA as part of a healthy human diet.
Food-grade stainless steel is used in the brewing, food and winemaking industries too. It’s the material of choice because it doesn’t retain or impart flavors.
All our caps are BPA-free polypropylene (pp#5) too, and we offer stainless steel cap options for Classic bottles as well.
Of even greater concern is the fact that many companies won't release information about what the liner on their aluminum bottles is actually made from. The liner can also retain flavors, which can make your drinks taste funky.
The stainless steel used to make Klean Kanteens™ is time-tested, safe and completely free of BPA, phthalates, lead and other toxins. It's fine for acidic beverages or foods, and doesn't retain or impart flavors. That's why it's the material most commonly used in food preparation and by the brewing and wine-making industries."
Posted by Kieran K. - August 31, 2009 06:52 PM
In addition to the latest info I just added to the bottom of my post regarding SIGG's return policy, I found out that a friend of mine just brought her bottles right back to a local store this weekend without a receipt and they gave her store credit right on the spot. I would highly recommend following this procedure instead -- just call around so that you can save fuel and time. That way, you'll be able to avoid the expense of shipping your old bottles and you'll be able to get a new safe water bottle replacement right away. My friend said that she went to a local outdoor sports center called REI and they will mail them back to SIGG to be properly recycled. Just thought everyone might appreciate the info!
Posted by Barnabas Abraham - August 31, 2009 10:32 PM
I bought my Sigg water bottle at a Radiohead concert, and it's brilliant and looks great, but sadly one of the ones with the problem coating. I got in touch with them and got much the same response you did (again, it took them quite a while to get back to me, not too happy about that), and it seems that I'm only going to be able to choose a replacement from their website, which means I cannot actually get the Radiohead one I really like the look of. Bit of a pain, going to get in touch with the radiohead store directly, see if they can help me better!
Posted by Meena Kapur - August 31, 2009 11:11 PM
I emailed SIGG on Thursday after reading the post and am still awaiting a response. In the mean time I think I will call REI and Whole Foods where I purchased them and see if I can return them there. Thank you for the information!