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The SIGG BPA Confession: You aren’t going to like it any more than we do
By Jeremiah | August 20, 2009 | 117 comments / Comment now
Update: Heard about Gaiam's BPA problem?
Swiss sports and children's bottle maker SIGG has admitted what many consumer advocates have suspected for years, but never proven: That the epoxy lining used for years in SIGG bottles - which they secretly swapped out for a new liner last summer - contained the hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol-A. There's more to the story than that, but the bottom line is that this company is in a very vulnerable position, and there are a couple of factors that will make it hard for them to claim the high road on this issue.
Let's figure out what you have - if you have any SIGG water bottles, I'm guessing that's the first thing you want to know.
If you own SIGG bottles you purchased before August 2008, you definitely have one with the old liner. But even SIGG bottles that are less than a year old don't necessarily have the new liner. In fact, SIGG's announcement may be somewhat conveniently timed - it can take several months for products to move through the supply chain, and if I were a betting man I'd bet that many of the SIGG bottles with the BPA-containing liner were being sold as late as this spring.
But it's easy to compare them by sight alone. The old version of the liner is very brassy looking, like the inside of a can of tomatoes. The new liner is dull and beige.
As a case in point, a product sample SIGG sent us in the fall of 2008 actually has the old liner.
Consumer groups have been alleging since at least 2007 that SIGG bottles are lined with a BPA-containing epoxy, and on the face of it the claim makes sense - SIGG bottles are aluminum, after all, the same material used in canned foods, infant formula, and soda that have been second-class citizens in the debate over BPA exposure. SIGG, in turn, maintained that their bottles did not leach BPA, but that they could not disclose the formula for the liner because it was made by someone else. It is important to note here that they did not claim not to know what was in the formula, only that they could not or would not reveal it. As SIGG Switzerland CEO Steve Wasik explained it in April 2008:
With that context in mind, let's jump back to early 2007, when the Environmental Working Group published a guide to BPA-free products that listed SIGG water bottles as containing BPA. SIGG responded by demanding that the organization either furnish proof that this was true or remove SIGG from its list. Listen to the very carefully crafted language of then-SIGG USA president Wasik:
I encourage you to read those paragraphs again. There are great ravines of fact bridged by carefully chosen inference. And they helped ensure that SIGG benefited mightily from the rampant purchases of aluminum and stainless steel water bottles Americans made in 2007 and 2008 to replace their Nalgene and other polycarbonate sports bottles. Where would SIGG have been if they had admitted to having BPA in their product at the time, but assured consumers that it would not leach out?
Meanwhile, the Organic Consumers Association had picked up the SIGG contains BPA claim, and reported that consumers should avoid SIGG bottles along with many other known BPA-containing products. They published this in the March 8, 2007 issue of their newsletter, Organic Bytes.
But SIGG was edited out of that document, too - even the PDF version of the newsletter! - after an unspecified party alerted the OCA to SIGG's counter-claim. In the next issue of Organic Bytes, editors Craig Minowa and Ronnie Cummins wrote:
SIGG began releasing independent testing showing that its bottles leached no BPA in tests that mimicked liquids like colas, fruit juices, and water. These tests don't appear to be any different from the kinds of tests Canada would do if SIGG wanted to import bottles with that liner into our BPA-banning neighbor's home turf - put the material up against a liquid, wait, and see what comes out. In other words, Health Canada and anyone else who regulates BPA will not test for the presence of BPA in the material itself; they will test to see if BPA comes out of the material. It is entirely conceivable that a material could be made using BPA but be so well-engineered and so carefully used that it does not leach BPA, and that appears to be what SIGG accomplished with its third-party provider.
Still, things seemed a little funny. As Amelia Royko Maurer of the green online shop Free Market Organics wrote in an undated page of notes and clippings on her website:
For much of this period, we assumed that SIGG was either bluffing about knowing whether the product was made using BPA (it wouldn't sound very good to admit you were using a coating but weren't entitled to the formula, would it?) or that there was some strange legal quandary that prevented them from coming out and explicitly saying their product was BPA-free. (Incidentally, many companies that have been selling products as BPA-free must now wrestle with some of those questions.) Because of these unanswered questions, we chose not to flag SIGG bottles with BPA as a "chemical of concern" in the ZRecs Guide, but flagged our level of confidence in the information provided by the company as "Low," because it was clear SIGG was failing to disclose something, although we couldn't be certain what.
We'll be changing it soon to reflect SIGG's new revelation, so this is for posterity:
Despite this "Low" confidence rating, we trusted (and continue to trust) their third-party testing. It isn't the stuff of peer-reviewed scientific journals, but it's the kind of data companies have to submit to government agencies to certify their products. It describes the methods used and provides a lot of detail. And Z has used SIGG sippys off and on for years. We have no concerns about BPA exposure, based on the test results.
But that doesn't mean we like the way SIGG does business.
Whether or not you are comfortable using a bottle that contains but does not leach BPA, for us the real story here is how a company using BPA that would have been absolutely sidelined by consumers seeking BPA-free alternatives managed to make itself a central player by carefully controlling information about its products, challenging consumer advocacy organizations when they made statements that were unproven but that the company knew to be true, and "coming clean" only when it suited its own purposes.
Now SIGG CEO Wasik has proudly announced on SIGG's U.S. website:
(Of course, it wasn't long before we all became painfully aware of how cozy the FDA and industry were during that time. But let's not quibble over details.)
August 2008? Yep, SIGG has been sitting on this news for a year. Why? Well, one reason a reasonable person might assume would be a factor is that the overwhelming majority of SIGG bottles made with the old liner have now moved through what is probably a year-long supply chain of production, distribution, and brick-and-mortar and online sales. SIGG offers a product line of dizzying variety sold at premium prices, and they are probably slow to move. But of course that is not the real reason!
But how much trust can consumers spare for a company that operates this way? Does this chain of events lead you to have "absolute confidence" in SIGG's desire to meet your expectations - and to protect your health?
As Alicia at online retailer The Soft Landing put it in a post yesterday about her company's experiences with SIGG that ultimately led her to stop selling them in her online shop:
We'd be very surprised if SIGG wasn't prepared for some kind of backlash. The question is, how big will it be? We want to know what you think about this issue. Does this news anger you? Or do you think this is the only way a business could handle this kind of transition, and applaud SIGG for "taking the lead" in making a safer aluminum container lining?
Tomorrow I'll talk a bit about what we find really shocking about SIGG's strategy to minimize the flight of consumers from its brand. It's a move that could shake things up the backrooms of the children's products industry and yield a lot of new, but not necessarily enlightening, claims and counter-claims about various products' safety.
New to ZRecs? Find out what we do in this list of our best recent consumer reporting and reviewing.
Like the consumer reporting we do at Z Recommends? Please take a moment to share it with the social media tool of your choice at the foot of this post. You can also get a free RSS or email subscription to Z Recommends and never miss a post.
"SIGG's Bottle Liner"
publication date unknown, received by ZRecs on March 18, 2008
SIGG Bottle Liner
"Former Liner Full Report, BPA Leach Testing, June 2007"
publication date unknown, received by ZRecs on March 18, 2008
Former Liner Full Report BPA Leach Testing June 2007
"SIGG Quality Guarantee"
released April 15, 2008
SIGG Quality Guarantee- April 15, 2008
"EcoCare Swiss Testing Feb 2008"
released August 2009
EcoCare Swiss Testing Feb 2008
Swiss sports and children's bottle maker SIGG has admitted what many consumer advocates have suspected for years, but never proven: That the epoxy lining used for years in SIGG bottles - which they secretly swapped out for a new liner last summer - contained the hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol-A. There's more to the story than that, but the bottom line is that this company is in a very vulnerable position, and there are a couple of factors that will make it hard for them to claim the high road on this issue.
Which bottle do I have?
Let's figure out what you have - if you have any SIGG water bottles, I'm guessing that's the first thing you want to know.
If you own SIGG bottles you purchased before August 2008, you definitely have one with the old liner. But even SIGG bottles that are less than a year old don't necessarily have the new liner. In fact, SIGG's announcement may be somewhat conveniently timed - it can take several months for products to move through the supply chain, and if I were a betting man I'd bet that many of the SIGG bottles with the BPA-containing liner were being sold as late as this spring.
But it's easy to compare them by sight alone. The old version of the liner is very brassy looking, like the inside of a can of tomatoes. The new liner is dull and beige.
As a case in point, a product sample SIGG sent us in the fall of 2008 actually has the old liner.
SIGG's slippery claims
Consumer groups have been alleging since at least 2007 that SIGG bottles are lined with a BPA-containing epoxy, and on the face of it the claim makes sense - SIGG bottles are aluminum, after all, the same material used in canned foods, infant formula, and soda that have been second-class citizens in the debate over BPA exposure. SIGG, in turn, maintained that their bottles did not leach BPA, but that they could not disclose the formula for the liner because it was made by someone else. It is important to note here that they did not claim not to know what was in the formula, only that they could not or would not reveal it. As SIGG Switzerland CEO Steve Wasik explained it in April 2008:
SIGG has proprietary rights with a 3rd party producer of our liner formula. In other words, we do not produce it ourselves. This supplier is based in Switzerland and has an impeccable reputation for quality and safety. SIGG is the only water bottle on the market to use this special liner. As there are many copy-cat manufacturers in the market (most based in China) that would like to get their hands on this formula, our supplier has an agreement with SIGG to keep his formula confidential.
Because we know that this liner is the very best on the market and we have had a positive working relationship with this supplier, we have honored that agreement.
With that context in mind, let's jump back to early 2007, when the Environmental Working Group published a guide to BPA-free products that listed SIGG water bottles as containing BPA. SIGG responded by demanding that the organization either furnish proof that this was true or remove SIGG from its list. Listen to the very carefully crafted language of then-SIGG USA president Wasik:
On March 9th, it was brought to my attention that a website sponsored by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) made mention that SIGG bottles contain plastic liners with bisphenol A (BPA).
I can assure you that SIGG bottles are absolutely not made with a plastic liner and are in fact lined with a proprietary non-toxic, water-based resin which has been refined over decades of study and is extremely safe & stable.
Based on the confidence we have in our product backed by numerous laboratory studies, we questioned the EWG and requested that they provide us with the testing they have conducted on SIGG - or alternatively to remove the "SIGG" mention from their website if they have not tested SIGG. Within 24 hours of this request, the EWG removed SIGG's name from their report. [Via Eco Child's Play]
I encourage you to read those paragraphs again. There are great ravines of fact bridged by carefully chosen inference. And they helped ensure that SIGG benefited mightily from the rampant purchases of aluminum and stainless steel water bottles Americans made in 2007 and 2008 to replace their Nalgene and other polycarbonate sports bottles. Where would SIGG have been if they had admitted to having BPA in their product at the time, but assured consumers that it would not leach out?
Meanwhile, the Organic Consumers Association had picked up the SIGG contains BPA claim, and reported that consumers should avoid SIGG bottles along with many other known BPA-containing products. They published this in the March 8, 2007 issue of their newsletter, Organic Bytes.
But SIGG was edited out of that document, too - even the PDF version of the newsletter! - after an unspecified party alerted the OCA to SIGG's counter-claim. In the next issue of Organic Bytes, editors Craig Minowa and Ronnie Cummins wrote:
In Issue #104, we ran a piece with quick tips on how to avoid toxic BPA. One of our bullet points mentioned avoiding SIGG water bottles (among other brands). We acquired that information from the Environmental Working Group. Unfortunately, the data was slightly dated. SIGG has since gone BPA-free, so it is now safe to purchase SIGG water bottles.
SIGG began releasing independent testing showing that its bottles leached no BPA in tests that mimicked liquids like colas, fruit juices, and water. These tests don't appear to be any different from the kinds of tests Canada would do if SIGG wanted to import bottles with that liner into our BPA-banning neighbor's home turf - put the material up against a liquid, wait, and see what comes out. In other words, Health Canada and anyone else who regulates BPA will not test for the presence of BPA in the material itself; they will test to see if BPA comes out of the material. It is entirely conceivable that a material could be made using BPA but be so well-engineered and so carefully used that it does not leach BPA, and that appears to be what SIGG accomplished with its third-party provider.
Still, things seemed a little funny. As Amelia Royko Maurer of the green online shop Free Market Organics wrote in an undated page of notes and clippings on her website:
When I bought my first Sigg bottle, I called the company up and asked what the liner was all about. They said something like they were working on a patent and could not yet reveal what it was. So I waited and wrote again. Then I would just periodically check in at their website to see if they had given the answer yet. Finally one day it said the liner was a "water based epoxy resin". If you look today, they have removed the word epoxy, but the funny thing is, none of their other retailers have, which looks a little obvious, especially since their descriptions of it all match accept for the missing word "epoxy." They mention that it is not plastic - which is true, nonetheless, BPA is used to make most epoxy resins. [Link]
For much of this period, we assumed that SIGG was either bluffing about knowing whether the product was made using BPA (it wouldn't sound very good to admit you were using a coating but weren't entitled to the formula, would it?) or that there was some strange legal quandary that prevented them from coming out and explicitly saying their product was BPA-free. (Incidentally, many companies that have been selling products as BPA-free must now wrestle with some of those questions.) Because of these unanswered questions, we chose not to flag SIGG bottles with BPA as a "chemical of concern" in the ZRecs Guide, but flagged our level of confidence in the information provided by the company as "Low," because it was clear SIGG was failing to disclose something, although we couldn't be certain what.
We'll be changing it soon to reflect SIGG's new revelation, so this is for posterity:
Despite this "Low" confidence rating, we trusted (and continue to trust) their third-party testing. It isn't the stuff of peer-reviewed scientific journals, but it's the kind of data companies have to submit to government agencies to certify their products. It describes the methods used and provides a lot of detail. And Z has used SIGG sippys off and on for years. We have no concerns about BPA exposure, based on the test results.
But that doesn't mean we like the way SIGG does business.
Whether or not you are comfortable using a bottle that contains but does not leach BPA, for us the real story here is how a company using BPA that would have been absolutely sidelined by consumers seeking BPA-free alternatives managed to make itself a central player by carefully controlling information about its products, challenging consumer advocacy organizations when they made statements that were unproven but that the company knew to be true, and "coming clean" only when it suited its own purposes.
Now SIGG CEO Wasik has proudly announced on SIGG's U.S. website:
Within the scientific community, the safety of the packaging ingredient bisphenol A (BPA) remains the subject of considerable debate and controversy as evidenced by the FDA meetings on the topic this month. For decades, BPA has been the industry standard for protective coatings – approved by food and health regulators around the world. One year ago, Andrew von Eschenbach, the Commissioner of the FDA, announced that, "The science we have reviewed does not justify recommending that anyone discontinue using products containing BPA." At that time, SIGG Switzerland, the world leader in premium reusable bottles, had already made the transition into bottles that are BPA free.
(Of course, it wasn't long before we all became painfully aware of how cozy the FDA and industry were during that time. But let's not quibble over details.)
Within the reusable bottle water category, polycarbonate plastic bottles (#7) came under scrutiny in early 2008 because they were found to leach BPA. As a result, many consumers turned to metal bottles (aluminum and stainless steel) because these bottles had no issues with BPA migration. Prior to its transition, SIGG utilized a water-based epoxy liner which contained a trace amount of BPA. The bottles were thoroughly and regularly tested in both the USA and Switzerland and all tests revealed absolutely no migration or leaching of BPA or any other substance from the protective inner liner. These tests have been public information on the SIGG website for several years and remain there today.
Despite the fact that these bottles were manufactured well within strict international regulations and posed no health risk, my team and I initiated a project in June 2006 to develop a new liner which would be both BPA free and produced in a more environmentally friendly manner. We recognized early that there were questions surrounding BPA and we wanted to be sure that we had a bottle liner that you, our customers, could have absolute confidence in.
After two years of comprehensive testing and development and a one million dollar investment in new equipment for our Swiss factory, SIGG began producing bottles with our new, next generation "EcoCare" liner in August 2008. Providing the same quality and protection afforded by the previous liner, this new powder-based, co-polyester coating has been thoroughly tested and is certified to be 100% free of BPA... [Link]
WTF SIGG?
August 2008? Yep, SIGG has been sitting on this news for a year. Why? Well, one reason a reasonable person might assume would be a factor is that the overwhelming majority of SIGG bottles made with the old liner have now moved through what is probably a year-long supply chain of production, distribution, and brick-and-mortar and online sales. SIGG offers a product line of dizzying variety sold at premium prices, and they are probably slow to move. But of course that is not the real reason!
The primary reason that I am writing this letter today is because I believe that the BPA conversation has changed dramatically in the last 12 months. Last year, the primary concern was that of BPA leaching from bottles. Since that time the dialogue has evolved such that now some people are concerned about the mere presence of BPA and some states are considering legislation.
But how much trust can consumers spare for a company that operates this way? Does this chain of events lead you to have "absolute confidence" in SIGG's desire to meet your expectations - and to protect your health?
As Alicia at online retailer The Soft Landing put it in a post yesterday about her company's experiences with SIGG that ultimately led her to stop selling them in her online shop:
We’re not interested in dealing with another used car salesman. There are too many other top notch water bottle companies out there! It’s not about the "mere presence of BPA" or that their studies didn’t show any leaching - it’s about the principle of trust. We as parents, consumers and advocates should demand transparency from companies who build their entire foundation on being healthy and green.
We'd be very surprised if SIGG wasn't prepared for some kind of backlash. The question is, how big will it be? We want to know what you think about this issue. Does this news anger you? Or do you think this is the only way a business could handle this kind of transition, and applaud SIGG for "taking the lead" in making a safer aluminum container lining?
Tomorrow I'll talk a bit about what we find really shocking about SIGG's strategy to minimize the flight of consumers from its brand. It's a move that could shake things up the backrooms of the children's products industry and yield a lot of new, but not necessarily enlightening, claims and counter-claims about various products' safety.
New to ZRecs? Find out what we do in this list of our best recent consumer reporting and reviewing.
Updates to this story
- Two warnings before you request a replacement SIGG bottle
- The ZRecs 2009 BPA-Free Water Bottle Showdown
- ZRecs evidence of misleading statements by SIGG representatives
- our interview with SIGG CEO Steve Wasik
- BPA researcher claims older SIGGs did leach BPA, and we can independently confirm it
Like the consumer reporting we do at Z Recommends? Please take a moment to share it with the social media tool of your choice at the foot of this post. You can also get a free RSS or email subscription to Z Recommends and never miss a post.
SIGG's public statements about BPA
"SIGG's Bottle Liner"
publication date unknown, received by ZRecs on March 18, 2008
SIGG Bottle Liner
"Former Liner Full Report, BPA Leach Testing, June 2007"
publication date unknown, received by ZRecs on March 18, 2008
Former Liner Full Report BPA Leach Testing June 2007
"SIGG Quality Guarantee"
released April 15, 2008
SIGG Quality Guarantee- April 15, 2008
"EcoCare Swiss Testing Feb 2008"
released August 2009
EcoCare Swiss Testing Feb 2008
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Dang, am I pissed! I bought SIGG bottles specifically because of the BPA issue- and finding out now that my 3-year old (and my husband and I) have been drinking out of ones that DID have BPA for 2 years really ticks me off. Those bottles are not cheap at all, and finding out that they deliberately concealed the information is not something I wanted to hear. So the real question is- now what? Do I accept the testing and keep using the bottles we have, with faith that the non-leaching will continue? I really don’t want to spend another 100 bucks on all new bottles, but is that the better choice? Can I swap them with SIGG for new bottles? (That would TRULY be a customer-oriented response, and probably would cost them less than they think since a lot of folks won’t actually go through the effort- although I would!)
Any ideas zrecs? You certainly have a track record of good ones-
I will never use a Siggs bottle again. I cannot believe they held this info. back from us. I had already thrown my daughter’s Sigg Bottle away when I had heard that they might have BPA in it because I didn’t want to take any chances. I wrote Mr. Wasik, the CEO and he is not taking any type of blame for this- not even a “sorry”. He will send out a new bottle but I don’t want one- just my money back which at this point they will not refund my money.
Tiffany, You can call SIGG USA to demand a replacement at , or call them at (203)321-1220.
Michelle B, I’m sorry to hear the refused to issue a refund. We had suspected that. Have you considered taking the free bottles and donate them to charity? You’ll be penalizing them for the replacement cost and can provide BPA-free bottles to someone who might otherwise not use a safe water bottle at all.
Please let us know the outcome!
Thanks for posting this. I am so frustrated. After tossing my Nalgene took me 6 months to decided to buy my SIGG and now I still have one that has BPA in it. I use it daily and I am pregnant with my second. Really unbelievable.
This is exactly why I never bought into these bottles- I knew there had to be something up and I remember a long time ago you questioning it- and it always stood out in my mind. WHAT THE HECK WHY CAN’T THEY JUST BE HONEST!?
Steph
SO so so not happy about this. Thanks for the excellent reporting and sourcing as always. We’ll figure out a way to let our readers know too.
Absolutely pissed. Wow.
It’s not about whether the BPA comes out or not, its about allowing consumers to make informed decisions and with holding information and skirting around questions is as bad as a seedy politician. Or yes, a used car salesman.
I don’t need any of it.
I will try to get my bottles replaced, but will not be giving another cent of my money to this untrustworthy company again.
This saddens me. I wanted to trust in what we believed was a good and safe product for our family based on their statements. We have about 6 Siggs in our house and I will call to have them replaced - and then donate them to charity. We will not use Siggs any more. They’ve lost our trust. Sometimes I wish we could just use glass bottles.
Well it only took a couple hours and they gave me directions on how to return the old bottle and get a new one. I am glad they are replacing it.
So, is there *any* safe stainless steel bottle on the market (other than the “new” Sigg)? I haven’t let my daughter used the unlined stainless ones for fear the metal would leech nickle or chromium or something when using distilled or reverse osmosis water.
That is pretty shocking. What they need to do is have dedicated Swap Sites with an added incentive to replace the bottles. I own a kid’s cafe and I know the moms would be interested in something like this.
This is a great article. I would love to know what alternatives to Sigg bottles are out there. It seems like you can’t trust any companies anymore.
Grrrr! This is frustrating! They are expensive, and I bought them at the beginning of all the BPA stuff. I’m going to email demanding 2 new ones for my boys!
The worst part is the new liner sucks. It flakes off leaving sharp edges if you drink directly from the bottle.
I just threw out my daughter’s older bottle, and because of the issues I have had with my newer bottle, I won’t be using it either.
I think leaching is the important issue. If the bottles have never leached, then they are better than the polycarbonate. For years, everyone said the polycarbonate ones were the inert ones. then the SIGG ones. Sounds to me like SIGG has been the only inert choice. I don’t care so much what they said if the testing proved it did not leach. Is it possible that BPA is in a water based epoxy, so they never really lied? What is being leached from the new epoxy--formaldehyde? who knows? if we’re only hyped up about one item, that’s the only one they’ll talk about. anyway, what is the other water bottle option? no point in switching until there is something to switch to.
Thanks for the heads-up. I can’t believe how duplicitous they were! I am pretty mad about my three SIGG bottles.
Shame on Sigg. That’s why I have always been a Klean Kanteen fan! I hate liners. I just posted a link on my FB page, thanks for your hard work, it’s much appreciated as ALWAYS! Denise (eatplaylove)
Oh I’m PISSED. I switched over when I got pregnant specifically to avoid BPA. I don’t want a replacement, I want my GD money back.
Thanks for posting the email address for getting our Sigg water bottles replaced. We have a lot of them (2 .3 liter, 1 .4 liter, 4 .6 liter, and 1 1 liter) that we’re going to have replaced! I had just bought a new Sigg water bottle on Wednesday and noticed the new liner.
Klean kanteens are awesome - I bought them specifically because they are 100% stainless steel and no liner - easy to clean (wide mouth) easy to use - safer than alumninum which will always need a liner.
So happy I never bought a SIGG.
This does upset me that they knew before hand. I recently purchased the wide mouth and noticed the new liner. I haven’t had any trouble with it. I really loved their products so this is sad to me. I went with them because of the non-BPA and that they weren’t made in China. Although their new stainless line (steelworks) is made by an Asian company :(
Like Polyphany, I have a bunch of Sigg bottles in the .3, .4, .6 and 1 liter sizes, and thanks to zrecs posting the email earlier today- Sigg already emailed me back with a shipping label and everything. So I have to ship all our bottles back and get store credit for new ones. Which is good- but my son’s not going to be happy about not having his cups for a few weeks :( I will give them points for a quick response time and the shipping label- bonus that my pin code will include shipping (since I already paid shipping once ordering some of them in the first place)
I am truly disgusted. I’ll never trust or buy from them again. Plan to get replacements and donate them. I don’t want to be seen supporting liars. On their conscience...hope it was worth it to them.
I have an aluminum water bottle which says it has a “food-safe BPA-free coating.” But this info is from the website selling it, not firsthand from the company. I can’t tell for sure who manufactures the bottle, and am worried it’s just Sigg repackaged under another name.
What to do?? Trust that the coating truly is BPA-free, if - unlike Sigg - they’re willing to come out and say so? Or conclude that there is no safe lining for aluminum, and switch to stainless steel instead?
So it has been two hours since I read the article and I am still pissed about the Sigg bottles! So it contains BPA but testing says it doesn’t leech - which is what matters - but when does it not leech? When they are new? How about after they have been in a hot car for days, or slightly frozen, or dented, or just after time has passed or after I have washed it with the Sigg scrub brush? And now how can the company be trusted? Arrhh! And what is this about the new liners chiping? has anyone else had this happen?
Where is my pitchfork? These guys are criminals and frauds - straight up. RAGE. They should all be in jail.
Beyond the corporate dishonesty which should not surprise anyone is the real story. The real problem is aluminum itself. The reason these bottles have to be lined in the first place is because the Aluminum itself leaches.
SIGG has FAQ info letting customers know how to recognize a failed or damaged liner… and recommends that you immediately recycle them if they are compromised. I’d bet most customers have no idea there is only a thin layer between their drinks and aluminum. Odds are if they scratch it or it just gets old and fails, they won’t know, and be drinking aluminum.
No surprise why they use this material; aluminum is super cheap, and can be punched out by largely robotic manufacturing… but the material itself is not well-suited to the drinking bottle task as it is not food grade. Sigg does not share that the lifespan aspect of the linings also significantly lowers the “sustainability”. They do say their bottles are easy to recycle (because recycle it you will).
The whole thing is smarmy. Aluminum should not be used for this application. Glass if you want the very best interior, stainless if you also need your container to take abuse.
IR
Just because Sigg is made in Europe and looks good (when new), eco-minded people have put this glorified beer can on a pedastol for years. I do not use aluminum cookware because it leaches aluminum. Why would I pay top-dollar for an aluminum water bottle that requires some mystery coating that protects me from an unhealthy material? I don’t get the logic. So now they’re using an “eco” liner? What’s so “ecocare” about polyester? Bush-style euphemism.
Sigg bottles have leached BPA at levels high enough to effect the endorcrine system. The testers of their independent study used a LOQ (limit of quantitation) of 2 PPB, which means they don’t test for accuracy below that level. A quantity of BPA below the LOQ can be called zero, or “undetectable”, because the calibration used doesn’t go below the LOQ. Masters of manipulation. Would have loved to been a fly on the wall at their legal team and marketing staff meetings as they were spinning this BPA issue..
Screw Sigg. Klean Kanteen is the way to go.
This is ridiculous! I’ll be spreading the word…
Wow. So disappointing! Especially for all the mom and pop retailers who sold the products in good faith, to promote good health. They must feel absolutely betrayed after touting the bottles to their customers.
as you so aptly put it:
WTF SIGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why isn’t this regulated? Why do we have to find out this way - someone telling us about it through an email!! This is just terrible.
I’m pissed. There’s no other way to put it. I’ve been holding off on commenting until I could calm down for a bit.
I, personally, have 5 of these BPA laden bottles. And I’ve given away 3 on my site. I purchased ALL of them myself. That’s a crapload of money down the drain.
You betcha I’ll be contacting them about replacements. I’m NOT happy at all. In fact, I’m completely outraged at their efforts at a coverup. I will not be using SIGG products any longer.
Jeremiah (and Jenny) Thanks for your reporting. You rock...as always.
Another amazing scoop and you did a great job of presenting the information in an even handed way. I’m going to link up to this when I have a chance.
I am truly disappointed in SIGG, one of the first companies with which we worked. I am glad there are other alternatives, as well.
I will be calling SIGG and they will not be getting any more of my business after that unless they can show that they will be transparent and honest moving forward.
Not surprised but very disappointed. I never felt good about using the the Siggs that we have, I always thought there was something not right about it.
i am beyond infuriated! i spoke via email with Steve Wasik and he says customer service will get back to me, but they have not. i have 5 Siggs, and just bought one for my baby and he loves it.
I am glad that we also have a lot of the Kleen Kanteens..i will definitely be using those now instead of the Siggs.
I so wanted to believe that my son’s very expensive bottle wasn’t a waste of money. Not only was it a waste I am so angry that the company sat on the info for so long.
Ew!
As Amelia said (Comment #14), the liner flakes at the lip of the bottle. Whether I have an old one or a new one, I don’t like the flaking now on “Mr. Sharky.” My boys will be disappointed, but we’ll look to replace this too…
Thanks for your excellent reporting.
I bought into the SIGG bottles when I gave up plastic bottles, but was quickly disappointed by the scratching around the inside mouth of the bottle. I wasn’t so much concerned about the lining (though apparently I should have been), but about the aluminum that was being exposed from the scratches. I ditched them probably 3 years ago and replaced them with Klean Kanteens. I love my Klean Kanteens!
Steve Wasik’s crafty response to this whole mess is a textbook example of the slippery manipulation of language.
Anyways, onto the Steve Wasik TRANSLATOR! (translation is parenthesis, bullet points taken from his lame letter responding to the original SNEWS expose.
“• We will continue to listen to our partners and proudly lead the reusable bottle category in alliance with our retailers.”
(We’re going to spin this so well you’ll still trust Sigg and our new liner, but not any other company or material.)
• We will enthusiastically drive freshness, design and innovation in the category.
(open a new Sigg and you can smell the fresh chemicals inside)
“• We will fight the influx of low-priced, low-quality Chinese water bottles and ensure that consumers have all of the facts related to reusable bottles.”
(Surprise, we make our stainless Sigg bottles in China too)
“• We will work tirelessly to make sure that our retailers at all levels are well informed and are able to easily and confidently sell SIGG products.”
(We will tell you things when we are forced to do so by a pending expose)
“• We will continue to market SIGG, fight-the-fight against plastic disposable bottles and drive retail traffic by advertising in national magazines such as Outside, Backpacker and others.”
(We will not be buying any more of your full-page ads if you come down on us too hard)
• We will firmly stand behind and defend the quality and safety of all of our products with all means.
(We sold 60 million dollars worth of BPA-lined bottles last year and can afford lawyers)
“• We will not engage in tactics that create undue controversy and foster confusion or stoop to desperate attempts to gain market share.”
(don’t even think about it . . . we wrote the book on stooping to gain market share, just ask Nalgene)
“• We will, as we always have, work with our retail partners to grow a mutually beneficial, sustainable business together.”
(we’re shooting for 100 million this year, don’t blow it for us)
One item I picked up on in the SIGG statement is that they had solid enough info that BPA was a problem that they “initiated a project in June 2006”. This means that they continued to hoodwink consumers, and laughed all the way to the bank for TWO YEARS while they sold BPA laced “epoxy” lined bottles to unsuspecting consumers. Wow! what a scam!
If they really knew about the risk of BPA release from their bottles, this is a crime. If they didn’t know, it’s bad research.
I wonder however whether this whole BPA thing is a bit overrated? I mean, we all grew up with bottles that released even worse chemicals. Or think of all the billions of food cans imported from China and other countries. I bet they’re full of unhealthy stuff. Or the fast food we’re eating way too often. The air we pollute with our cars and airplanes, the water we spoil, the dangerous nuclear power plants we build, seemingly to solve one problem (CO2), but actually creating another one (nuclear waste).
We live in a sick world, and we’re responsible for this condition. It’s not about BPA only. It’s the whole package. Pay attention to what you buy, support and throw away. Let’s make this planet healthier.
What about us Canadians who purchased the bottles? Can we get a replacement? I’m not sure I want one, but I also don’t want to throw $45 out the window....
I remember reading the label on the SIGG bottle to see if I could learn what that copper colored lining was made of because I was a little suspicious. There was no information on the packaging. This is pretty awful that they would be so dishonest-after all the only reason people bought the expensive bottles was to avoid the risks of the plastic bottles. Just had my Reverse Osmosis filter tested by Doctors Data. It has extremely high level (200 ppb) of nickel. Looks like the stainless container is leaching nickel, which is a carcinogen. Hard to know what to drink.
I never bought into the Sigg sippy, either. Tupperware bell tumblers have been fine for us. Now DH, on the other hand, DOES have a Sigg. Oh well, its HIS endocrine system…
thank you SO much for such an impressive and thorough article. What a shame and bore about Sigg. This may sound absurd, but sometimes I feel we as a public/society/consumers are being assaulted with chemicals for the capitalist profiteers...! So, no hesitation there—time to pick up one of the Kleen Kanteens.... thanks again!!! sigh.
Best to you all
Jessica
Sigg just made my bad list, endless disappointment these days.
The fact that Sigg was made using aluminum and had to have a lining (as well as the $$$$) kept me away from them and now I am so glad.
I purchased Bilt stainless steel water bottles for my family. They are much more affordable and I trust stainless steel much more than any lined aluminum. Those looking for an alternative might want to check them out.
I have two of these bottles and have used them for 2 years for my 4 year old son. I received the first as a gift and my son loved it so I bought another. Sad that as parents we try to do what is best for our kids and so many companies put profits ahead of ethics. I will be working to get replacements, but will no longer purchase from this company or recommend them to anyone I know.
ditto to the outrage
Has anyone had any luck communicating with Sigg re: replacement to Canada?
So glad I went with Klean Kanteens instead. This can not be good for sigg. I personally didn’t like the idea of all the fancy designs on these bottles and felt like they couldn’t be safe with the pictures and cartoons on them. Good luck everyone getting replacements or your money back. I would be mad as Hello.
Yup, very angry at Sigg. So are the couple dozen other mamas I’ve shared this with who probably won’t have time to leave a comment.
with regard to Irwin’s comment below - If you are concerned about Aluminum, then you better stop drinking tea - it is one of the largest sources of aluminum in the human diet. You should also stop consuming bread products, muffins, waffles, etc. where ‘alum baking powder’ is used, as this is aluminum. Stop taking aspirin, antacids, and vitamins. They contain aluminum. Many food colorings contain it as well. And what about drinking beer and soda from unlined aluminum cans? Don’t get me started.
Another great post Jeremiah! I must say, I couldn’t be more disappointed with the way SIGG handled this...but I’m not at all surprised. Looks like we’ll be giving Kleen Kanteen a few free ads in the coming months.
BTW, the moose M.D. is helping spread the word by promoting your piece at the baby blog...and he did his best to come up with 3 new uses for your old SIGG bottles as well. ;)
Keep up the great work!
Jason
how could anyone still give sigg the benefit of any of your trust or return customership? some earlier posts say “give sigg points” for providing a return label (???), etc.. or another earlier post refers to ending retail relationship “unless” sigg proves itself transparent in the future (???)… as sigg now unveils its new and improved honest ecofriendly, now really honest folks bpa free different looking liner… PLEASE! have you not been greenwashed enough? These posts show an undeserved amount of patience and trust and to me appear suspicious… really, who is still onboard with such profit over childrens health corruption? solutions seem simple: glass and stainless steel! aluminum and polymer liner are both problematic , then add on corporate liar leadership to boot. do whats right for your children, bpa free is a hoax, just like fat free.
I emailed SIGG and this was the response I got from them:
I am not sure where you read that BPA is leaching from our bottles, but it
does not. Please see the reports at the following address:
http://mysigg.com/bulletin/testing.html
I invite you to call to discuss this matter further, as I fear they may be
some confusion over this.
Sincerely,
Maria Nazzaro
Director of e-Commerce
SIGG USA
1177 High Ridge Road
Stamford, CT 06905
(203)321-2190
SIGG = “SIMPLY ECO LOGICAL”
Wonder why some folks are getting shipping labels for replacements and I received a straight out denial.
Very disappointing. I’ll definitely not be recommending them based on their shady business practices alone. I’m on the fence as to what I’ll do with the ones we have though DS’s sippies will be going back to Whole Foods.
I am flipping furious! I will be demanding a refund and switching brands, one that’s not so deceitful
Thanks Zrecs for this super thorough (although very upsetting) post. I linked to it from Non-Toxic Kids in this post:
http://www.non-toxickids.net/2009/08/sigg-waterbottles-contain-bpa-partial.html
I appreciate your hard work and good reporting about this. I’ll let you know what happens after I request my new bottles--
Everyone:
Please email the CEO. Here is his email address
This is what I wrote to him:
Dear Mr. Wasik:
“I am outraged to learn that the bottles I bought for my now three year old son were laced the BPA. I bought your bottles specifically because they were represented as a safe alternative to the BPA laden plastic bottles that are around.
“I would like a full refund for the bottles I purchased and an apology to my son XXXX who you have possibly harmed by mismarketing your product.”
Thanks so much for the information ZREcs.
I’m so disappointed. We all work so hard to research and (over) think which bottle (or fill in the blank here) is the best to use.
Thanks so much for this info - although hard to read, and then digest (no pun intended!).
What are safe water bottle alternatives? We’ve been using the Safe Sippy (stainless steel), but is there a possibility of the metal leeching nickle or chromium or something else with filtered water????
Oh I am PISSED. Maybe they would like to pay all my kid’s medical bills now! And all her future ones too! We moved to SIGG after my two year old was diagnosed with premature thelarche (early puberty) due to the chemicals found in plastic1! Now she is at a higher risk for cancer. We had to drive back to Childen’s Hospital for another year beyond what they thought after eliminating everything with plastic. No wonder she was not healing completely. Grrrrr…
Yeah. I’m angry. I will NEVER buy another Sigg product. I will get my damn free replacements and donate them.
thanks for the good info! pissed and returning SIGG bottles at once, planning never to purchase again despite what they promise ab their products.
Thank you so much, ZRecs! I will be getting my older bottles replaced. It feels so gross to know that they did this, but I think I will feel comfortable having all new bottles.
Sigh.
Just wanted to share my email to SIGG:
Dear SIGG,
Thanks to the highly detailed reporting found here:
http://www.zrecommends.com/detail/siggs-bpa-confession-you-arent-going-to-like-it-any-more-than-we-do/,
you can bet that I will never support SIGG again, regardless of your new “100% free of BPA, phthalates, BADGE, BFDGE, and NOGEs” liners and “independent laboratory testing” (August 2009 CEO letter).
Here’s the rub. I called SIGG last year, when I was concerned about the lining. I was assured that the bottles I had (manufactured in 2007) were BPA-free. When I pressed, asking for an actual ingredients list, I was told that that was proprietary information. Because of the evasive answer, I trusted my mommy intuition and ditched the bottles, purchasing Foogo and KleanKanteen instead.
Come to find out, there was BPA in the liners. Your CEO claims that “I believe that the BPA conversation has changed dramatically in the last 12 months. Last year, the primary concern was that of BPA leaching from bottles. Since that time the dialogue has evolved such that now some people are concerned about the mere presence of BPA and some states are considering legislation” (August 2009 CEO letter).
The qualifing phrase “I believe” is telling. The conversation has indeed changed in the political arena, but only because concerned consumers have taken it upon themselves to read the research (dating back to the 1990s, please see bib below) that supports claims of the harmful effects of BPA. The conversation, however, did not change in the scientific arena only within “the last 12 month.” The research supporting the banning of all BPA has been mounting over the past decade. To state that the dialogue changed over “leaching” versus “mere presence” is semantical and not based on science or reason.
Had you engaged in ethical practices from the start, maintaining transparency and honesty with your customers, I very likely would purchase SIGG now that you are manufacturing bottles with reformulated liners. But on principle, you have lost a customer. You lose my trust, you lose my business.
I am ccing my friends and family.
Sincerely,
Lisa Zimmerelli
(bib left out b/c of length)
f sigg!
are they going to have a recall?
Maybe SIGG should hook up with the tobacco companies. They have the same ethics code. They could call themselves Cigs and SIGGS and market to kids and teenagers.
Got an old-liner SIGG as a gift at Christmas. Lucky for me, after the aggravation of trying to get more than a few precious drops of water out of the unbelievably complicated mouthpiece countless times, I gave up and it’s sat in the cupboard ever since. For some inexplicable reason, I’ve never been motivated to get it replaced as defective. Perhaps it was some deep-seated intuition...? I’m sorry for the rest of you, particularly the pregnant moms, whose bottles actually delivered a drink. Not that I’ve tested the water in them, but I’ve always been very satisfied with my Kleen Kanteens.
I am very disappointed in SIGG. They are unethical in their business practice because fear got a hold of them. They knew that informing the public that their bottle liners contained BPA yet didn’t leach it, would have hurt their sales. As a consumer I appreciate a company to be honest about its products. SIGG has destroyed this trust in me to their products.
I politely emailed the CEO and, within a day, a rep contacted me to have my bottles replaced (SIGG Canada). While I am not pleased with the BPA news, I am very impressed with SIGG’s response. They even offered to replace my daughter’s bottle which I can’t seem to find. If you ask me, many companies could learn from SIGG—they messed up but they’re trying to be open, honest and fair.
Do you know about the contents of the [url=”
Sigg]http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000R7PDW6/zrecs-20"]Sigg Coffee Mug[/url]?
It does not look like either liner, so I am not sure if it is safe. Looks a brushed silver metail - not cream colored or copper like the water bottle liners. Thanks.
I’m really shocked by the number of people commenting here that think it’s acceptable to just throw out their old bottles. What about donating them to thrift stores, or re-use centers?
I know you’re all upset, and understandably so, but is it really okay to just contribute to the waste stream out of spite?
I thought it was insane the first time I found a Sigg bottle in a recycling bin. To me, someone who doesn’t have 20 dollars to spend on a container, it was a very big deal. I was elated.
Please consider donating these to a recycling center or thrift store. There a lots of people who would gladly use any of your containers over a repeatedly refilled 2-litre or a bottle from those ******** at nalgene.
Here is my email I sent. Also off-the-charts angry about this.
Dear Mr. Wasik,
I am the now very unhappy owner of 5 sigg bottles manufactured prior to August 2008.
I specifically purchased this product in order to switch from plastic or nalgene water bottles for myself and my family. In fact, several friends of mine went on to purchase sigg bottles upon my recommendation. I am a fan of sigg bottles on my facebook site.
It disgraceful and disingenuous to market your product as having a “proprietary” liner touting itself as a safer alternative to plastic, while containing the concern-causing substance all along. My bottles have been in use every day for my 3 children’s school lunches and about-town activities. We live in Arizona, where having water available at all times is of utmost importance. These bottles are often out and about in extreme heat. With the conductibility of aluminum, who knows how much BPA these bottles (which are now dented from constant use) leach into the drinking water?
I would like to reiterate my extreme disappointment in the actions of the sigg company. I expect at the very least replacements of current models for these bottles, which were purchased at Whole Foods. I anticipate a prompt response.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
I’m underwhelmed - if the lining doesn’t leach, it doesn’t leach. Epoxies are very tough and inert - that’s why we use them for so many things.
That said, I’m happy that my current SIGG bottle is a stainless-steel double-walled ‘hot + cool’ model…
My issue with SIGG is that they knew people were concerned about BPA—but of course, if they said their bottle liners had BPA but DIDN’T leach, people would still be too scared to buy them and they would make far less money.
They deceived consumers with slick wordplay and semantics. I know that’s nothing new. Companies have been doing it forever. The difference is I trusted SIGG, as did many other parents out there.
I only found out about the SIGG story late Saturday and put up a short commentary on Sunday. I didn’t know you had written such a great, in-depth piece on all of this. Thank you, as always, for your excellent reporting of the facts :)
Thank you for all the information. I am so so disturbed by this. I called Sigg and was given this email address to request a replacement. I guess the word is out.
We have recommended SIGG to friends and family for year because we trusted they were safe and BPA Free.
I think SIGG should get slapped with a class action lawsuit. It wouldn’t help any of us individually, but would definitely hurt the company and help to keep other companies honest in the future.
why should I trust them that their new bottles are safe? I’m not replacing mine, I’m chucking it.
Thanks, SIGG. I’m 6 months pregnant and drank quite a bit from your bottle since I conceived.
Why must corporations lie?
I’ll never buy another SIGG product again.
Wow SIGG, way to betray your customers. I just requested a refund, but we will see how that turns out.
According to The Daily Green, both New Wave Enviro and Gaiam provide decent Stainless Steel BPA-free alternatives.
Here’s an idea. We all take our Sigg bottles and mail them back to Sigg. Imagine tens of thousands (hopefully hundreds of thousands) of bottles being returned world-wide…
so, who can recommend a “safer” alternative? Anything besides Kleen Kanteen?
@Patty: Absolutely. We have a lot of recommendations in the ZRecs Guide - here’s a direct link to the Water Bottles section of the ZRecs Guide, and here’s a post we recently published about the updates.
I am very disappointed in SIGG after reading this. We have two of their bottles that will go from trusty companions to cupboard ornaments after reading this. I am most disturbed by their business practices and I will not purchase from them again for it. I’m putting my money where my mouth is-on another companies product!
Here’s a portion of the letter I received back from SIGG’s CEO:
..."I understand your point and recognize that there is a lot of confusion about BPA out there right now. To my knowledge, we at SIGG have never advertised our old liner bottles as being BPA free. Sometimes SIGG retailers or journalists will hear the “no leaching of BPA” message and inadvertently shorten that in their communications to “no BPA”....”
Hey c in AZ.. I got the exact SAME response back from CEO Steve. Funny huh?
Basically he’s blaming the retailers for misinforming the consumers and not SIGG themselves!! SHAME!! He suggesting that retailers can’t clearly read the SIGG advertising of no BPA leaching does not mean BPA free. Yet he expects the consumers to clearly understand the statement not make the same mistake.
I wrote back and basically told him this logic is faulty. I also expect SIGG to make an apology to the consumers for deceptful advertising.
From the SIGG website regarding no BPA in their liners.
http://www.sigg.com/siggnificance/swiss-quality
“Our liner is one-of-a-kind and the true secret of the SIGG bottle. It is a proprietary formula - containing no BPA – which is baked on for the life of the bottle and remains flexible and crack-resistance despite how dinged up the outside of the bottle might get.”
i have used sigg for a few years now. my 1.5 litre that i drank 3 litres of water from per day started to look “rusty”. i emailed them and sent them photos. they offered me a 10% discount on a new one. I expressed concern about continuing use of my sigg due to leaching. i was told to avoid aluminum products and that there was no direct evidence of a link between aluminum and Alzheimer’s. Of course i avoid aluminum and that is why i was concerned about leaching! i also mentioned that i would not purchase another sigg until i had done more research. i own 3 and will never buy another. if there is a class action i have the emails and the photos and the bottle. i am really angry.
I have also emailed SIGG regarding this. I have not gotten a response, and I don’t expect to be able to replace my bottles or get a refund.
But I put this down to being in Singapore, there’s very little customer protection in place here. We’ll probably get stone walled by the distributor.
Truly angered by the information, and good writing, ZRecommends. I will be spreading the word and promoting this link.
Arrrrrg...WTF is right… Bad customer service, they don’t even want to help you. Guess what? i have the old liners and I just bought it 4 months ago from their website., Hate Sigg. Never again.
I am so angry, and feel as if I have been punched in the gut. I try so hard to do what I can to minimize exposure to toxins, knowing there are so many present in the environment about which I can do nothing. My son has been drinking from SIGGs for most of his life (he’s almost 3). I just bought him a new one for school, greenraising.org, and it’s the old liner, not the new one. I’ll be trying to return all of our bottles.
How dare they. I was at an industry trade show two years ago and the Sigg booth talked up and down about the dangers of BPA and how they had the only safe alternative. And *now* they come clean!? Worse still, they try to curry favor by saying they’ve spent a million dollars on a new coating. What bullshit. They’ve *made* tens or hundreds of millions of dollars off the trust of unsuspecting people.
Two words: Class action.
now they contain bpa but dont leach it. but what about if the bottle gets dented. i mean who hasn’t dropped a water bottle. i have 3 sigg, all old liners but 1 has a good dent in it, the others have been dropped but dont have visible dents. can they say for sure they dont leach if dropped or dented
I’m writing today to because of the entire BPA debacle that is going on right now. I consider this entire thing rather silly. I studied to be a chemical engineering student and am aware of what BPA can do, can’t do, and where it can nor can not go. Because of this I have full faith that the SIGG liner is safe to use. Epoxy is not something that leeches much of anything. It seals things up nice and tight and keeps them there.
It’s in dental adheasive - will all of you be yanking your fillings out now due to your BPA issues?
So having said all of that I wanted to state that I am perfectly happy using my old style SIGG bottles, and I am not an employee or affiliated with the company whatsoever.
Only thing is my wife is (as many mothers are) a bit of a hypochondriac and it extends to her children. I am no longer allowed to use my SIGG bottles with my kids because of the perceived danger of the old style liners.
I guess I will have to get them replaced…
I just emailed Sigg and while they agreed to an exchange of all seven Siggs I purchased with the old liners, they are making me pay for the shipping to return my bottles to them claiming since their bottles don’t leech BPA it is not a recall therefore no refund! They said they will issue a credit plus free shipping for the new bottles after receiving my old bottles. I do not think that I should have to pay anything to have my bottles exchanged!! It is the very least they could do!! Did anyone else get this response? Was anyone able to get the return shipping covered by Sigg? Also, the liners in two of my bottles flaked off which makes me really uneasy now I know they are made with BPA. I’m worried that it flaked off into my water and I ingested it. Isn’t this grounds for a recall?? Please advise. Thanks
My family has been using Sigg bottles since we got them in December 2007. So for almost 2 years, we have used these bottles EXCLUSIVELY for drinking water. Every meal, every day. This includes my young toddler.
We chose these bottles because we thought they were safe. And all of the water we consumed in almost 2 years came from these bottles.
I’m disgusted at their dishonesty. I haven’t decided if I will bother with “replacements” or just invest in new bottles of a more trustworthy brand.
My husband and I have been long-time shoppers at LL Bean in Freeport, ME. (My father actually worked there after he retired.) We bought their stainless water bottles and there is no liner in them. Though the water may not stay cold for very long, we feel it is safer than bottles with liners. And they are rugged and good-looking!!!
Kleen Kanteen is great. So is Innate Gear. Stainless bottles and food containers. No need for coatings.
Wow. I recently ordered these online and guess what? They sent our toddler small-version with the OLD liner!
Fuming.
also sigg makes a stainless bottle. i got one earlier this year. i don’t think it has the coating. maybe its possible to trade old bottles in for the new stainless…
is a class action possible? does anyone know?
@SusanL: FYI the Bean Canteens are made by Klean Kanteen.
I emailed Sigg the first day this was posted. It was the weekend and they promptly emailed back with a return label and form. I asked them about refunding my money (I really don’t want replacements)—they did NOT even address my request in their reply. Not a word. The kicker, the return label requires that I pay for the return shipping back to Sigg. Unreal! I’ve emailed them again requesting a postage paid label. We’ll see how they repsond. My guess, they don’t care and won’t send anything back.
This hopefully has caused a huge backlash against Sigg. This is NOT the way a company should things. How unfortunate!
I just heard back from SIGG. This was the only thing included in their reply:
http://mysigg.com/bulletin/exchange_program.html
I will NEVER buy another SIGG product again. Based on their response, or lack thereof, and clear non-interest in their customers, it will not sadden me to see them fail as a company!
wow. I’m not sure what to say. There are so many lies and betrayals out there and who know how we’ll pay for it?
I remember when the whole BPA-scare started people were buying SIGGs because they were NOT made in China. The whole backlash against china helped spur on the support of SIGG. That and the cool designs. I never trusted aluminum with a liner. My husband stated that plastic was introduced as a replacement for aluminum because it was not safe. So I ordered Klean Kanteen and am very happy with them. Very simple design made by moms - yes in China, but to their exact specifications. I recommend Klean Kanteen.
I pretty much only use reusable bottles (I use SIGG, Laken, Klean Kanteen, and Contigo s/s thermal mugs) when there are no reusable cups or when I’m on the go, so that’s about 5 hours a week when I’m drinking from these things. There’s no need to throw away my Sigg bottle or demand a refund so I can grab stainless steel bottles and then do the same thing during the s/s backlash. I’ve heard equally shady answers from Stainless steel bottle/mug companies so don’t feel too good about yourself or too angry at aluminum bottle companies.
That is sad news for many parents. I was worried about the SIGG lining on their bottles, so I didn’t ever carry them at our organic baby store. I like to research things a lot before buying them for the store, and I just wasn’t satisfied with the SIGG responses to my questions about the lining.
I now recommend glass bottles for babies (or alternating glass bottles with the BPA-free plastic bottles), and for older kids and adults, I recommend using a variety of different drinking containers (even a different one from day to day if possible). That is because there always seems to be something new they’re discovering could be dangerous, so by varying the type of container from day to day, people can minimize the chance of consuming too much of any one type of chemical. So, for example you might use a BPA-free plastic bottle one day, then a stainless steel bottle the next day, a regular drinking glass the next day, etc. I realize that’s too much expense/trouble for many people, but it would just be my recommendation for people who are super-worried about leaching. All containers leach a little of something due to the nature of solids (especially with hot and/or acidic contents, solid-containers will release a small amount of their surface molecules). I haven’t yet studied the new soft-silicon-baby-bottles enough to know if they’d be something I’d recommend or not. Some people reported a film or taste on silicon ice-cube-trays, so I’d still personally just choose glass baby bottles for now, if I were buying again for my own baby. That is just my personal opinion though and doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong w/ the new silicon bottles. Maybe the glass bottles aren’t perfect either, but sometimes I just go by my gut feeling on things when choosing for myself and our kids.
Deceitful. I am taking my money somewhere else and returning my bottles to whole foods where I bought them..
I am soooo upset w/ SIGG. They will never see another penny from me! It’s disgusting! They are so shady. I went out of my way to purchase bottles from them b/c I was worried about bpa. I did my research and even emailed them. They minced words but purposely gave me the impression that I did not have to worry about bpa w/ their bottles. I’m so frustrated!
THANK YOU, for telling people about this. Our family has been using the SIGG bottles for years and I am pissed and feel betrayed.
I recently purchased my son a new bottle for the new school year, it turns out it is the “new” lining, but I don’t want my son using it. I luckily dug the receipt out of the recycling (yes recycling pays in more ways than one!) and I am returning the SIGG bottle. I am also telling the manager about this company and will suggest they do not sell this product.
My suggestion is that consumers tell the managers of stores that sell SIGG that this is an untrustworthy company. New liner or not, I will never buy another SIGG product again.
Thanks again Z RECS!
Sigg stinks the Company Stinks and the words they use are old and cheap. I bought 2 bottles and I paid $30 for each bottle thinking I was getting a product FREE of BPA. This is our own fault. THE USA IS LAZY AND WONT PRODUCE A DRINKING BOTTLE THAT IS SAFE AND CAN BE SEEN AS THE BEST BOTTLE IN THE WORLD AND SAFE. I WOULD PAY $100 a BOTTLE FOR SOMETHING SAFE FROM A SMALL COMPANY THAT IS ONLY MADE IN THE USA. I WONT TO BUY MADE IN THE USA THINGS BUT THEY ARE RUNNING OUT.
Does anyone know if they tested the bottles for leaching with liquids other than water. I put juice in the bottle for my daughter and I am horrified that the acid in the juice may cause higher levels of leaching similarly as with hot liquids versus cold. This is very alarming, for a company with such a supposedly solid reputation to do something so sleazy.
I have bought so many Sigg bottles for family and friends. I feel I have to get the word out about these issues. I trusted this company and I trusted my source, “Whole Foods”.I am taking all the bottles we have back to Whole Foods.
whole foods is accepting SIGG bottles for exchange or store credit until the end of october. make sure you return all your bottles! hopefully the mass returns will ensure they know how displeased customers are. write angry letters, if you are so inclined.
haven’t had any problems with my klean kanteen...yet. i’m sure murphy’s law will dictate that they find something wrong with those too. :(
I am totally annoyed, both by the lies and by the replacement program. I had to pay to send my daughter’s bottle in for replacement, and received an email with a “gift certificate pin”, however, the gift certificate pin is not working. I called the company customer service hotline...the mailbox is full. Called another number listed on the website and no one has called me back. I think someone already mentioned this, but if you are replacing, make sure you pick the new eco-liner, because it looks like they are still selling the old BPA crap too. Plenty of the Kid’s bottles on the website don’t claim to have the new liner…
The email I just sent them sums up my experience so far:
I buy 4 Sigg bottles believing they are green and healthy and safe. They are expensive but I’m willing to pay more for peace of mind. I find out the liners contain BPA and that this information was intentionally hidden from consumers. I am angry. I am pregnant and I resent that my developing baby’s health has been put at risk, and that I have been deceived for your profit.
I ship my bottles back to be replaced in accordance with your policy. Leon signs for them on 9/11 at 10:47 am. I get no response. I write a frustrated email on 10/10 and finally, on 10/14 I get a gift certificate code for replacements. I follow the instructions and place an order that same day. Order Number: 222924. I check the status today, 10/21, and it’s “on hold”. WHY? I don’t know and I sure can’t think of any good reason why I should have to wait longer than I already have.
I call customer service and get a message that the voice mail box is full. Seriously? What kind of company is this?
Can someone please just ship the replacement bottles TODAY so I can be done with this?
I would really prefer a cash refund, but I will take the replacements if that is all I can get. We invested over $100 with shipping for our 4 bottles and we are not rich people. I don’t buy disposables if I can possibly help it so I have just been going without this whole time.
I now live in Europe, and I emailed the SIGG office here about exchanging bottles. They say that because they never claimed that the bottles were BPA-free, they are not exchanging them in Europe. But wasn’t that the same argument in the US???
Any advice? Thanks!
Some of their email to me copied below.
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We understand your point and recognize that there is a lot of confusion about BPA out there right now. To our knowledge, we at SIGG Germany have never advertised our old liner bottles as being BPA free. We have always focused our communication on the “no leaching of BPA” message. Thus, is important not to compare SIGG countries on an overall level since they have different initial situations.
As for your question about the voluntary exchange program you have seen on our North American website, yes we do offer such a program. In Germany and all other countries, we do not offer such a program since we were always very transparent about BPA in our communication.
We believe we have the best protective liners in the world and have been extremely transparent with the testing of our bottles which you may have seen in the info section on our site http://www.sigg.com/de/about-sigg/information-zur-innenbeschichtung/) . The controversy that has swirled around BPA in the past has involved the problems of plastic bottles leaching BPA into the water. SIGG bottles never had a problem with leaching as you will see from the independent test reports on our homepage.