Slog News & Arts

Line Out

Music & Nightlife

« Like So Many Republicans Befor... | What He Said »

Friday, April 18, 2008

Hey, You, With the Nalgene Bottle

posted by on April 18 at 10:45 AM

Oh, I’m sorry, did everyone in Seattle just turn around at once? Well, just wanted to say, in case you’ve missed it: Your earth-saving and shatter-resistant water bottle seems likely to be declared toxic by the Canadian government.

RSS icon Comments

1

Get the #2 plastic Nalgene instead. They're $5, no BPA.

Posted by Patrick McGrath | April 18, 2008 10:49 AM
2

Whatever. Get a Sigg.

Posted by blank12357 | April 18, 2008 10:56 AM
3

Let the fear-mongering begin, huh? The chemical may be toxic, not the bottle. And the level of toxicity is unknown, so it may be about as toxic as eating a jalapeno.

Posted by Emily | April 18, 2008 10:56 AM
4

Coincidentally (?), Nalgene announced today that it will stop using BPA in its bottles.

Posted by Fifty-Two-Eighty | April 18, 2008 10:59 AM
5

It's about as bad as using a cellphone. Which isn't. You're about 100x more likely to get sick from what you fill the bottle with than what it's made out of.

Posted by Andrew | April 18, 2008 11:02 AM
6

I once ran over a Nalgene with a. Volvo 240. The bottle dented, but didn't break.

Posted by Jake | April 18, 2008 11:06 AM
7

Eli, don't you know everyone who's everyone has moved on to the stainless steel water bottles. Sheesh! ;)

Posted by arduous | April 18, 2008 11:07 AM
8

I've been using the natural color Nalgene bottles from REI since forever. I think they're polyethylene -- am I safe?

Beware of metal containers with plastic liners , by the way. And of course Aluminum has been linked to Alzheimer's.

Posted by SIGG sour | April 18, 2008 11:16 AM
9

Nalgene bottles are so 2006! Go Sigg....

Posted by genevieve | April 18, 2008 11:16 AM
10

Horse pucky alert!

What exactly is the SIGG liner made of?

SIGG has perfected the formula of its proprietary inner liner over decades of scientific research and Swiss engineering. The ingredients (like the formula for Coca-Cola) remain secret and unavailable to 3rd parties so as to ensure SIGG retains its competitive advantage. The key of course is that the SIGG liner is FDA approved and independently tested to be taste and scent inert – and resistant to any leaching (0.0%) so 100% safe.

http://www.mysigg.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=5

Posted by SIGG sour | April 18, 2008 11:29 AM
11

Thanks, @1.

Remember, the best advice is to buy a thermos bottle for kids. And then watch them play with the shards when they shatter it ...

(you do know I'm jesting half the time i post, right?)

Posted by Will in Seattle | April 18, 2008 11:30 AM
12

At least polycarbonate bottles don't make the water taste funny, like I've always found HDPE to do...

Posted by jim | April 18, 2008 11:46 AM
13

I'm more worried about the microorganisms that seem to be growing in mine.

Posted by w7ngman | April 18, 2008 11:52 AM
14

Aluminum has not been linked with Alzheimer's. That's a myth.

Posted by Fnarf | April 18, 2008 11:57 AM
15

"There is circumstantial evidence linking this metal with Alzheimer's disease but no causal relationship has yet been proved. As evidence for other causes continues to grow, a possible link with aluminium seems increasingly unlikely. This information sheet looks at the circumstantial evidence and current medical and scientific views.

Researchers believe that, in the majority of those affected, Alzheimer's disease results from a combination of different risk factors rather than a single cause. Such factors, which vary from person to person, may include age, genetic predisposition, other diseases or environmental agents."

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=99

Posted by Dawgson | April 18, 2008 12:13 PM
16

@8 "And of course Aluminum has been linked to Alzheimer's."

not true!

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=0000FCD2-AA88-1C71-9EB7809EC588F2D7&catID=3

Posted by skye | April 18, 2008 12:26 PM
17

I still prefer the tin can I received as a child.

Posted by Lloyd Clydesdale | April 18, 2008 12:34 PM
18

I use my Nalgene so rarely, that even if this were true, it wouldn't be an issue for me.

Now, if they find that re-using regular plastic water bottles is a problem, then I'm fucked, since I've been doing that for years at the gym. So far, I've never read any convincing research that says it's a problem (i.e., not funded by Dasani), though you are supposed to wash them thoroughly to avoid bacterial issues.

I can't be bothered about the whole stainless steel thing, though I suppose if I were pregnant I'd be paying more attention.

Posted by Julie | April 18, 2008 12:35 PM
19

@14 etc - it has more to do with cooking practices, actually. And diet. The biggest things are moderate exercise, abdominal fat in your 40s (oops), diet, sleep, and stress. Aspirin (81mg) is the best preventer, actually.

Posted by Will in Seattle | April 18, 2008 1:01 PM
20

oh and red wine if you're male. Other than the genetic thing you can't change.

Posted by Will in Seattle | April 18, 2008 1:03 PM
21

So it's OK to worry about NPA but not OK to worry about aluminum? What about the mysterious secret liner material that SIGG puts in its bottles? Can I worry about the unknown?

You pick your paranoia and I'll pick mine.

Posted by SIGG sour | April 18, 2008 1:13 PM
22

not sure how my nalgene saves the world, and don't care to find out. but its great for drinking beer while rolling down the highway, especially with the vinyl sleeve. 3 beers fit in the narrow-neck 1 quart, no problem.

Posted by beer is for breakfast | April 18, 2008 1:16 PM
23

I prefer the lead cup I made in shop class.

I must have 6 Nalgene bottles at home and have one with me now.

Posted by elswinger | April 18, 2008 1:18 PM
24

I heard that the material inside the aluminum PBR can might lead to inane behavior including clothing removal and bad dancing- is this TRUE??? Can I start freaking out now?

Posted by Shilo Urban | April 18, 2008 1:18 PM
25

If you are frightened of you old Nalgen bottle but don't want to throw it away. Get one of these:

http://www.guyotdesigns.com/firefly

Posted by elswinger | April 18, 2008 1:29 PM
26

I doubt the #2 Nalgene is really better. Sure, it's not polycarbonate, but it's more flexible. Flexible plastic is more likely to leach SOMETHING into your food/beverage -- or just shed plastic molecules into your digestive tract faster. Tasty, tasty plastic molecules.

Remember: polycarbonate releases 20-50x the BPAs once it's been HEATED... and keeps releasing at that rate ever more.

- To-go "paper" coffee cups: plastic lined.
- Styrofoam coffee cups at WA rest stops.
- Stirring your coffee with a plastic straw.
- Re-heating food in tupperware-type containers.
- ...
Yummy.

Go glass. Or metal. Or ceramic-lined metal (is that Sigg's secret liner?). Or just drink from your hands. Or do us all a favor and get yourself turned into soy food for lent.

Anyway, you're all white people poseurs.

Posted by treacle | April 18, 2008 1:44 PM
27

Nalgene is saving the earth by manufacturing disposable plastic laboratory equipment and plastic animal cages, for research. They don't just make those water bottles you know.. thats like a fraction of there business. They are a HUGE lab supply company.

Posted by ah | April 18, 2008 4:50 PM

Comments Closed

In order to combat spam, we are no longer accepting comments on this post (or any post more than 14 days old).