Should you dump your Sigg bottle?
I’ve just read over at Treehugger.com about Sigg bottles having BPA in their old bottle liners, something they’ve been cagey about for a while. I’ve never been one to worry too much about chemicals in my food and food containers, but bisphenol-A is not nice and I can’t say that I’m keen on it.
Sigg has admitted that their bottle linings contain BPA, but the level is below 2 parts per billion, and they feel that this isn’t a risk for their customers. Tests showed that the BPA didn’t leach out into the water in the bottles. The 2PPB amount is also about 5 times less than the amounts in some competing brands, so that’s another thing to consider.
However, any bottle purchased after August 2008 will have a BPA-free lining. They have a section on their website that shows you the difference between the old and the new liners, so you can see which one you’ve got.
In the USA, company representatives have said that they’re happy for people to exchange their old bottle for one of the new types if you mail contact them for details. I’ve emailed Sigg Australia to see if they’ll be offering the same deal, but haven’t had a reply yet.
I’ve got the old liner – I bought my Sigg bottle in early 2008. I’m not sure if I’ll do the exchange or not, since the risk does appear to be quite low. But I’m pretty pissed off at the lack of transparancy in their public comments. It’s just greenwashing and I’d have expected better of them.
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That’s a relief… I bought mine 3mths ago!
Yeah, I think they’ve really become popular lately and so most people with one probably have the new/better lining. For once, I wish I hadn’t been an early adopter!
I bought our drink bottles ages ago for the one and ONLY reason that SIGG guaranteed there was NO BPA in their bottles. This has turned out to be a complete LIE. I am used to companies bending the truth slightly but outright LIES really P*** me off. I feel disinclined to buy their new bottles now because I don’t like to support shysters and who’s to say they’re being honest now about the chemical composition of their new linings. It’s a good way to make sure we all upgrade their product when there is no other reason to.
It’s very disappointing, isn’t it? I still haven’t heard back about the email I sent them regarding exchanges of old for new ones.
its typical of big corporations who put money above people, whats most disappointing is their blatant lies, they knew if they disclosed that their bottles lining contained bpa their sales would have been a lot less the last three years, i would like to see a class action against them…shame on them…and if you own stocks in their crappy company…sell sell sell
Yeah, it’s so dodgy. I feel bad because I recommended them to quite a few people, and still love the one I’ve got because it’s so handy.
I have a no brand metal bottle and they don’t have any lining as far as I can see. Why do they need a lining anyway???
I think the lining is to insulate and keep the contents cool, and prevents cold drinks from causing condensation on the sides of the bottle.
the lining is because the bottle is made of aluminium? Check it out. The lining makes the bottle safe?
Hi Julie
Have you heard back from SIGG Australia yet? I have contacted them with no luck.
I haven’t had a reply from Sigg Australia either. I don’t know why some companies bother having a contact form if they’re not going to actually respond to the messages. Very poor form.
Hi all, just wanted to link you to details of how to exchange SIGG bottles in Australia. I just came across this myself
http://www.joyousbirth.info/forums/showthread.php?p=825302
Fantastic news! Looks like they’re doing exchanges after all. Thanks so much for sharing this info with us!
Just letting you know that after posting mine back last Friday, the new ones arrived in the mail yesterday – so took a week to turn them around
And all free too 
In August 2008 my 11 month old daughter received a SIGG bottle from her grandmother. After some research I felt assured that our daughter would be safe drinking water from the SIGG brand.
In January 2009 I was cleaning her bottle and noticed that the lining was coming off in spots near the neck. I was worried since my child may have ingested some of the lining and I wanted to know what was in it and whether it could harm her. So I contacted SIGG and an Australian representative tried to assure me that the lining was safe offering no real evidence and a free bottle for my trouble. When pressed to disclose the actual compounds of the lining, they refused saying it was their intellectual property. Adding that KFC, McDonald’s and Coca Cola brands don’t disclose their intellectual property and neither will SIGG.
Recently visiting grandma in Canada, I came across a full-page article in The Globe & Mail (national newspaper) about SIGG’s lining leaching BPA. I was horrified to read the findings and felt very disappointed to learn that SIGG had known of the leaching since 2006 but only came forward with this information in 2009.
After my experience and treatment I will never buy a SIGG product again. You decide what it best for you and your loved ones!
Link to The Globe and Mail articles
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/sigg-bottles-made-before-2008-contain-trace-amounts-of-bpa/article1274799/
I’m glad you saw the flaking lining quite quickly, good thing you looked into it.
Excellent news!