The Grove Project

Not My Nalgene!!!

With all the recent news coming to the surface regarding the toxicity of Bisphenol-A(BPA)– a chemical used in hard plastics such as water bottles, baby bottles, and other consumer goods– I’ve decided to trade in my beautiful, yellow, 32 oz Nalgene water bottle for a slightly less-sexy but dependably non-leaching stainless steel model.

There have been conflicting scientific studies regarding BPA. Some studies linked the chemical to prostate and breast cancers, diabetes, behavioral disorders, and reproductive problems in laboratory animals (see draft report by National Toxicology Program) while others, led by the plastics industry which is regulated by the FDA and EPA, have deemed the chemical safe. Could this have anything to do with the fact that Plastics is the country’s third-largest manufacturing industry, employing 1.1 million workers and producing nearly $379 billion worth of goods each year, according to the Society for the Plastics Industry??—In any case, this discrepancy in studies has led some U.S. Senators to introduce a bill to ban all products made for infants and children up to age 7 and would direct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study the health risks the chemical may pose to both children and adults.

Image from cricketbread.com

I am happy to report that many businesses are acting in a responsible manner by either phasing out the chemical during the manufacturing process (such is the case with Nalgene) or pledging to stop carrying baby bottles made with it (Wal-Mart, Toys R Us, Babies R Us, and CVS).

So, I’ve made the decision not to use my Nalgene bottle, but what should I do with it? If I recycle it, I imagine the toxic BPA will continue to leach into future manifestations of plastic, but if I toss it, I will be contributing to the sickening heapage of human waste that already exists. I guess it’ll stay in the dark, dusty corner of the closet for now.

P.S. I bought my 40oz stainless steel Klean Kanteen at Great Outdoor Provisions on Oleander, and my friend Betsy tells me they are also available at Target.