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Showing posts with label water bottle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label water bottle. Show all posts

12 September 2011

Water filter bottle - no more excuses!

Confession! I do sometimes still grab water in a disposable bottle because it generally tastes so much better than what comes out of my tap at home or a public fountain. Some places may have better tasting tap water, but Brisbane seems to be heavy on the chlorine (although see the addedum below on LifeStraw and why we shouldn't complain!).

Usually, I do fill up my reusable water bottle from our beautiful Southern Cross Pottery water purifier on the bench at home.  I love the taste of the water that comes out of the purifier compared with the chemical-heady scent of Brisbane's tap water.  But, we have some little munckins in our house that love to empty the purifier and not refill it.  Or, it may be that I'm on-the-go and need a water refill, but my tummy just can't handle another dose of chlorine.

Well now, there is no need for anymore excuses because we have some fantastic water filter bottle choices at Biome.  What about when you're camping and only have muddy creek water, you ask?  Still no excuses...

The Fill2Pure stainless steel water bottle removes 99.99% of contaminants and according to the manufacturer will prevent most water borne illnesses for travellers.  They say you can even fill from a muddy creek and instantly drink safe, clean water.  Fill2Pure elimiates chlorine as well as fluoride, an important feature for many people who live in areas where fluoride is added to the water, such as Brisbane. See the details below of exactly what is removed.

While a Fill2Pure bottle requires one to suck water through the filter with some gusto, the Australian-designed and made (hoorah!) BPA-free 321water filter bottle  filters by a plunger or french press mechanism. This allows the clean water to be easily sipped from the bottle.  The 321water bottle's carbon filter absorbs chlorine, organic compunds and other unpleasant odours, so it is ideal for anyone who simply wants great tasting water on the go.

Fill2Pure also provide a BPA-free plastic version that is much easier to drink from because you can squeeze the bottle to help push water through the filter. This would be suitable for children.


What does the Fill2Pure filter eliminate
Fill2Pure removes up to 99.9% of contaminants including:
  • Aesthetics: unpleasant taste, odours, dirt, silt, cloudiness, sediment
  • Micro-biological organisms: harmful bacteria, pathogens, Giardia, E-coli, etc.
  • Chemicals: Chlorine, flouride, arsenic, detergent, pesticides, DDT, DDD, PCB, PCE, industrial waste, etc
  • Dissolved solids: heavy metals - aluminium, asbestos, copper, lead, zinc, mercury, etc.
  • Radiologicals: Radon, Radium, Uranium, etc.

The only equivalent in our benchtop ceramic water filter systems is the Fluoride Reduction water purifier that removes 99.75% of fluoride inexpensively and efficiently. Read here for full details on how the fluoride reduction filter works.

LifeStraw
Thank you to one of our Facebook fans for the referral to this awesome product and business. A visit to this website helps put back into perspective that our tap water is nothing to be complained about!   LifeStraw is a personal water filter (like a large straw) that makes it possible to drink from any freshwater creek, lake or puddle and is being used throughout the developing world.  There's also an incredible saving in resources compared with bottled water.

05 July 2011

BPA Free news

Pictured here: LifeFactory glass bottles with silicone covers

As reported on Channel 10 news tonight, 5 July 2011

Channel Ten news tonight aired an informative story on the dangers of BPA and how to avoid BPA.   Read more about our Biome store and the choices featured in the Channel 10 news story.  Founder of Biome Eco Stores and environmentalist Tracey Bailey, spoke in the news piece.  Link to the Channel Ten story.
We have all heard about BPA in the media lately and know that this dangerous compound is found in some plastic containers and drink bottles.  Make a difference in your and your family's health by choosing the safest water bottles and drinking containers available on the market today.

At Biome Eco Stores we have only ever offered safe, non-toxic choices including BPA free, PVC free and also free from lead and phthalates.

This post contains some thoroughly researched, credible sources that we have found on BPA.

The quick summary?  Good old-fashioned glass is the safest choice for any form of drinking vessel, drink bottle, storage container or cooking vessel.  This may not seem the most practical choice, but Lifefactory glass bottles are made from toughened glass and come with a silicone cover to help protect them from breakage.
What is BPA?


Bisphenol A (BPA) is a plastic and resin ingredient used to line metal food and drink cans and to make hard and clear polycarbonate plastics.  Here is a summary of the Environmental Working Group study in 2007 which found BPA in over half of 97 cans of name-brand fruit, vegetables, soda, and other commonly eaten canned goods.

The use of BPA is widespread, as is its permeation into the environment around us including drinking water and human breast milk.  BPA can leach into food from the protective internal lining of canned foods and from consumer products such as baby bottles and water bottles, polycarbonate tableware and food storage containers.  The degree to which BPA leaches from polycarbonate bottles into liquid may depend more on the temperature of the liquid or bottle, than the age of the container.  (Source: National Toxicology Program).

This Z recommends article explains the great advances made away from unsafe polycarbonate bottles that contained high levels of BPA, but calls for putting BPA-free into perspective.  Canada was the first country to ban BPA from baby products, followed by several US States.  It is still allowed to be used in Australia.

How do you limit exposure to BPA?
  • Avoid polycarbonate #7 and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) #3 plastics, especially for children’s food or containers used for heating.  Plastics with the recycling labels #1, #2 and #4 on the bottom are safer choices and do not contain BPA.  Some #7 plastics are now free from BPA, so look for the packaging that also clearly states BPA free.
  • Do not heat or microwave food in any type of plastic container – use glass or ceramic instead. Heating plastics to high temperatures promotes the leaching of chemicals.
  • Reduce your use of canned foods – canned pasta and soups contain the highest levels of BPA
  • Use glass baby bottles and glass bottles for drink bottles.
  • Use high quality reusable bottles from trusted brands that publish results of quality control and testing.
Which water bottles and containers are safest to use?

In most cases, the old rule “you get what you pay for” is a good starting point.  There are many cheap metal water bottles in stores to meet the consumer demand for moving away from plastics.  We recommend only choosing an established drink bottle brand that you know and trust, that openly publishes independent test results, and that can be held accountable should there be a problem.

Metal bottles can still leach toxins, whether an aluminium bottle with no lining at all or an unsafe lining, or a stainless steel bottle leaching nickel – particularly if there has not been a tightly controlled and monitored approach to the manufacturing.

At the end of the day, you and your family are the ones who drink from the bottles and need to feel comfortable with whichever choice you make.

Biome offers only choices that are the best quality, reputable and free from all harmful things!
Glass water bottles
Lunch boxes
Sandwich wraps
BPA free baby bottles
Stainless steel bottle
Water bottle

17 June 2010

Kids Konserve raises the safe lunch bar


Like many of our customers, we're always on the search for reusable, waste-free lunch packaging that is free from toxins too.  Our team are "wrapped" with Kids Konserve for both adults and children. 

Ainsley says: "Kids Konserve is a brand I am so excited about. It's an aesthetically pleasing eco friendly product that is fantastic quality and free of all the yucky stuff."

"It's not only a great range for children but something any young at heart adult would find just as useful when packing your own lunch from home."

"A great plus with this range that I don't see in too many other brands is the containers with safe-plastic lids are leak proof so you can take salads with dressing or dips and not be concerned about a big mess."

"The Food Kozy that's perfect for sandwiches is also a fantastic reusable alternative to plastic wrap, foil and snap lock bags."

Tracey says: "the kids have already given Kids Konserve a great work out.  The insulated thermos jar has opened up a whole new set of lunch option - banana smoothies are the top request at the moment."

"I'm pleased with the bottles for the kids too because they are the only leak-proof stainless steel bottle for kids with a pull top spout we know of."

Customers are also loving the new lunch packs which include a beautiful recycled cotton sack, cloth napkin, stainless steel bottle, Food Kozy and two leak proof stainless steel food containers.

FREE ONLINE SHIPPING OFFER
To celebrate the launch of the full Kids Konserve range in Australia, we are offering free shipping when you include any Kids Konserve item valued over $10 in your order.
Offer expires, midnight Friday 25 June 2010.  Excludes shipping of Bokashi and over-size items.

Green Goods by Biome distributes Kids Konserve in Australia.  We welcome wholesale inquiries.   Please see Kids Konserve Wholesale 

Kids Konserve is also stocked by Eco Essentials, Everything Free.  For more stockists see Kids Konserve stockists

03 May 2010

Bottled water two to four times cost of fresh milk

One of my favourite newspaper columns is Value Hunter with Jane Hansen in The Sunday Mail.   Jane always gives well-researched, practical advice on how to save money.  The column features a Taste Test and value analysis of a particular product.  This week it is WATER - the bottled variety!

I love her tongue in check assessment when comparing the Taste Test quality - they all "taste just like water".  Jane does raise serious considerations like the fact Coca-Cola owned brand Mount Franklin water bottle costs more than triple Coca-Cola's carbonated drink and almost four times as much as a litre of fresh milk.

And, while tap water averages $1.70 per kilolitre (less than .0017 cents per litre), bottled water costs:

~ Organic Springs 600ml water bottle $2.75 per litre
~ Mount Franklin 600ml water bottle $4.15 per litre (owned by Coca-Cola)
~ Arooma 600ml water bottle $1.48 per litre
~ Pump 750ml water bottle $3.08 per litre (owned by Coca-Cola)

Aside from the costs of bottled water on the hip pocket, we know there are growing concerns about the environmental costs of bottled water. 

Director of a new documentary Tapped: get off the bottle, Stephanie Soechtig, says “1500 water bottles end up in landfill every second – that’s 30 million water bottle a day!”   The Tapped team is currently promoting the movie with an across America roadshow, collecting pledges from people to reduce their water bottle use and exchanging their empty plastic bottle for a reusable stainless steel bottle.   The roadshow is sponsored by Klean Kanteen.

Read our article Water bottle under siege - movies, books, governments and see the new animated film The Story of Bottled Water by The Story of Stuff creator, Annie Leonard.

05 February 2010

Is every stainless steel bottle created equal? The story of two bowls.

There are two stainless steel mixing bowls in my kitchen cupboard.  One feels more solid and has aged gracefully with use, the scratches seem to absorb into the worn smooth metal surface, which remains a dignified matt grayish colour.  The second, bought at a discount store (albeit under the brand name of a TV personality), has taken a distinct yellow tinge and is showing tarnish, its surface still artificially glossy.

We often talk to customers about choosing high quality stainless steel, but here I can actually see the difference.  Clearly, the quality affects how it wears and potentially the toxins that it may impart to food or liquids stored inside a water bottle.


There are important features to look for when choosing a reusable stainless steel bottle. Stainless steel is always made using chromium, because it is what makes steel "stainless".  Other elements used include nickel, nitrogen and molybdenum.   These elements can leach into liquids, so it is important that the bottle is made from high quality, 18/8 food-grade stainless steel – but, it is also important that you trust the manufacturer is telling the truth when they say what the bottle is made from.

Some will aim to make the bottle from the thinnest and cheapest stainless steel they can in order to reduce manufacturing costs and hence increase profits.

Other features are also important:
Are the lids made from a BPA-free plastic and are the leak proof?
Can you see sharp corners or joins where dirt and bacteria can build up?
Can you buy a replacement lid without buying a whole new bottle?
Does the manufacturer provide a guarantee?

Consider who the manufacturer is.  Do they have a long history of quality, who are the real people behind the company and what is their story?  In 2004, Klean Kanteen was the first company to make a water bottle from stainless steel.  They have continued to lead the way constantly innovating with the range they offer.  Nathan is a top sports hydration company making high quality stainless steel bottles with a clever straw drinking mechanism.  Perhaps the grandparent of all stainless steel is Thermos, whose name has become synonymous with insulated bottles for hot water.  Many of us grew up taking “the thermos” on a picnic.

From an environmental point of view, is a stainless steel bottle more eco friendly than a plastic bottle?

A Life Cycle assessment study published in the New York Times in 2009, considered the environmental and health impact of stainless steel water bottle from the extraction and processing of its ingredients, to its manufacture, distribution, use and final disposal.  It found that if your stainless steel water bottle takes the place of 50 plastic bottles, the climate is better off.    So when you buy a bottle, make sure it is one that will last hundreds of uses.  ‘Buy quality less often’ we always suggest at Biome.

From a human point of view, who made the bottle and was that person treated fairly and compensated for their time?  This is the hardest criteria to judge because few of us can actually visit the factories in China where most of the bottles are made.  We can at least always go to the manufacturer’s website and ensure they have published a statement about their factory and worker conditions.  If the bottle has a unique shape, such as Klean Kanteen or Nathan, it is more likely to be made at factory that the company directly oversees.

I treasure my well-aged stainless steel bowl.  We use it every day for washing fruit and vegetables, mixing recipes, whipping cream, bathing injuries.  So much so, that I thought a second bowl would be a handy addition.  Sadly, I did not repeat the luck with the quality of our first bowl and the newer, yellow tinged compatriot sits idle in the cupboard.

17 November 2009

Thirsty Shingleback lizard drinks from reusable bottle

Everyone in South Australia is withering from the intense heat wave - even the hardy Shingleback lizards, known as Sleepies to the locals.

Thank goodness for a Hannah Montana SIGG bottle, its cool contents and a brave seven year old girl with a love for every little creature that crawls...
Thank you to my brother for this awesome photo.

05 November 2009

How to clean SIGG, Klean Kanteen and water bottles


Whether your bottle is a Klean Kanteen, or other stainless steel bottle , SIGG aluminium bottle with lining or a BPA free plastic water bottle, it is important to stop mould and other deposits forming inside the bottle.  Any material kept constantly wet will breed bacteria.

Wash your bottles with warm, soapy water at the end of every day and let the bottle air dry upside down with the top off.   We of course recommend eco friendly mild dishwashing detergent!

Should any mineral deposits or lime scale form inside, fill your clean bottle with Distilled White Vinegar (no other kind) and let soak for 24 hours. Then rinse the bottle with warm water and one tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda and let dry.   Spots inside that look like "corrosion" are most likely a mineral deposit.

We recommend using filtered water where possible.   It tastes so much better--but also because water contains different minerals in every area and this may affect what happens inside your bottle.

You can also try SIGG cleaning tablets and specially-designed SIGG cleaning brush on all drink bottles.  Please only ever use a soft brush on SIGG so as not to damage the lining.  Stainless Steel bottles can handle a hard brush.  There is also a nifty thin straw cleaning brush that works for straws and sippy tops.

While all bottles are technically dishwasher-safe, we recommend not putting them in a dishwasher.  The dishwasher can damage the external paint coating and because most dishwasher powders are caustic, they will eat into the metal.  Tops should also not be put through the dishwasher because extreme heat expands and deteriorates the plastic.

Never freeze bottles as metal can split even with only a little water inside.   Trust us, we have seen many bottles that expanded and split.  Water does not always expand in a predictable direction!  Even stainless steel bottles are not suitable to freeze. 

If you want to keep your liquid extra cool, buy a wide mouth bottle from Klean Kanteen or SIGG that has an opening big enough for ice cubes - and actually makes the bottle easier to clean also.  I recently heard there are water bottle ice cube trays to make long skinny ice blocks for putting into your water bottle.

See the new SIGG water bottle range.

  • safe, non-toxic, BPA free lining; no leaching, metal migration or taste transfer
  • every water bottle is an international work of art
  • aluminium is lightweight, durable & eco-friendly because it recycles without degrading
  • leak proof, interchangeable tops
  • made in Switzerland for 100 years; member of 1% for The Planet

See the new Klean Kanteen stainless steel bottle range.

29 October 2009

More about BPA and SIGG

This is our third post on the issue of reusable water bottles and BPA. The two earlier articles explain more about SIGG & BPA and the exchange program.

Are SIGG bottles safe?
While SIGG should have been more transparent about the fact its bottles prior to August 2008 contained BPA in the manufacturing, the bottles are still safe based on independent tests that show no leaching of BPA or other toxins.

When most people purchased their bottles in 2008 and before, it was on the understanding that the bottles did not leach BPA or any toxins--and that has not changed.  It was only in 2009 that SIGG said the new bottles were BPA free.

Is this a product recall? 
The exchange program being offered by SIGG and retailers is not a recall, because the bottles are not unsafe.   SIGG promoted the bottles as not leaching BPA or other toxins, and this is still the case.

SIGG has explained that while BPA was an ingredient in the lining, it was manufactured in such a way that it was polymerised, essentially locking in the ingredients.

See more details on the exhange program below.  The program will end soon, as SIGG worldwide has already ended the program.

What is BPA & how is it used?
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a plastic and resin ingredient used to line metal food and drink cans and to make hard and clear polycarbonate plastics.  Here is a summary of the Environmental Working Group study in 2007 which found BPA in over half of 97 cans of name-brand fruit, vegetables, soda, and other commonly eaten canned goods.

Its use is widespread, as is its permeation into the environment around us including drinking water and human breast milk.

BPA can leach into food from the protective internal lining of canned foods and from consumer products such as polycarbonate tableware, food storage containers, water bottles, and baby bottles.  The degree to which BPA leaches from polycarbonate bottles into liquid may depend more on the temperature of the liquid or bottle, than the age of the container.  (Source: National Toxicology Program).

This Z recommends article explains the great advances made away from unsafe polycarbonate bottles that contained high levels of BPA, but calls for putting BPA-free into perspective.

Canada was the first country to ban BPA from baby products, followed by several US States.

How to limit exposure to BPA?
  • Do not heat or microwave food in any type of plastic container - use glass or ceramic instead. Heating plastics to high temperatures promotes the leaching of chemicals.
  • Reduce your use of canned foods - canned pasta and soups contain the highest levels of BPA
  • Avoid polycarbonate #7 and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) #3 plastics, especially for children's food. Plastics with the recycling labels #1, #2 and #4 on the bottom are safer choices and do not contain BPA. 
  • Use glass baby bottles.
  • Use high quality reusable bottles from trusted brands that publish results of quality control and testing.
Which bottles are safest to use?
In most cases, the old rule "you get what you pay for" is a good starting point.  There are many cheap metal bottles in stores to meet the consumer demand for moving away from plastics.  We recommend only choosing an established brand that you know and trust, that openly publishes independent test results, and that can be held accountable should there be a problem. 

Metal bottles can still leach toxins, whether an aluminium bottle with no lining at all or an unsafe lining, or a stainless steel bottle leaching nickel - particularly if there has not been a tightly controlled and monitored approach to the manfacturing.

Klean Kanteen and Nathan and Thermos are long standing, high quality stainless steel bottle brands.

At the end of the day, you and your family are the ones who drink from the bottles and need to feel comfortable with whichever choice you make.  More about SIGG on this blog.

11 September 2009

SIGG CEO says sorry

Saying "sorry" does not solve all the problems, but it is a significant step in the healing process.  We are happy that conscious consumers are being heard and not treated as pawns in a chess game.

Since hearing of this issue we have questioned SIGG to fully understand why.    Here is the link to our first post What did SIGG say about BPA? with information about the Exchange Program for bottles with the old lining.  You can check which lining your bottle has by looking inside - the new liner has a dull, pale yellow appearance while the old liner is a shiny, copper bronze.

While SIGG was not fully transparent, prior to 2009 SIGG only ever said that its bottles did not leach BPA or other toxins, as the independent test results show--and that remains the case.

Along with many others we have expressed our deep disappointment and we were pleased to see SIGG's recognition of those sentiments in the sorry statement.  Biome continues to support SIGG, selling only water bottles with the new BPA free lining.   We feel let down for everyone who chose to do the right thing for their health and the environment.  We are still stocking SIGG because:
  • We appreciate SIGG's acceptance of what they have done wrong and their commitment to the "no questions" exchange program.
  • We have always relied on SIGG's statement that the bottles did not leach BPA and the independent tests still show this.
  • We believe that the bottles with the new lining are genuinely free from BPA and harmful chemicals (there is now Government regulation relating to BPA in some countries, so it would be dangerous to mess with that).
  • SIGG's safe, high quality reusable bottles are still a far better alternative for health and the environment than cheap plastic or metal bottles.
  • While they made a big mistake in not being transparent, we have faith in the 100 year history of this reputable Swiss company and the other aspects of their operations that are environmentally-responsible.
As an alternative to SIGG, we have also been offering for some time, high quality stainless steel bottles from Nathan, Klean Kanteen and SIGG.

Statement by SIGG CEO, Steve Wasik, as appeared in The Huffington Post on 7 September 2009
"I am writing to apologize.
As Chief Executive Officer of SIGG, a leading maker of reusable water bottles, I made a mistake when I decided not to announce that our old bottle liner contained trace amounts of bisphenol A. I learned about the liner's content in 2006, when there was debate in the scientific community about the effects of BPA. Scientists lined up on both sides of the issue: Some said BPA posed potential health risks, others said BPA was perfectly safe.
With the issue still very much undecided, SIGG decided to develop a BPA-free liner to eliminate consumer concern about our products. To be sure that BPA did not leach from our bottle liners, we commissioned independent scientific studies and asked the labs to rigorously test our bottles and bottles made by other companies. We urged them to put all bottles through tortuous conditions. Those tests reassured us because they showed SIGG liners leached no BPA. We posted those studies on our web site to provide consumers the information about product performance that seemed to me relevant at the time.
Today, the debate continues. Scientists are still split on the issue. But the consumer environment has changed. Because of the all the conflicting data, a growing number of people have decided to eliminate the concern from their lives by avoiding BPA. Given the situation, I recently decided that we had to tell everyone that bottles manufactured with our former liner (prior to August 2008) contained trace amounts of BPA.
We were right to make the announcement. But I was wrong to have waited this long. One of our primary goals at SIGG has been to help reduce unnecessary waste and to educate people on the environmental benefits of using a reusable bottle. With that objective in mind, SIGG has been labeled a "green" company.
Unfortunately, I am still learning to be a green CEO. When I took this position, I naively assumed that "green" meant being a steward of the environment. In 2007, SIGG became a member of 1% For The Planet and we have donated 1% of all of our sales to environmental organizations like The Sierra Club and Stop Global Warming. However, being a green company also means being held to the highest degree of corporate transparency.
Some executives learn this because they have grown up within the green movement. I have learned this by reading hundreds of emails from SIGG consumers. Some feel angry. Some feel betrayed. All feel disappointed because they were passionate advocates of our bottles.
People have written to explain why they are concerned about BPA. They have written about their personal stories, their intimate worries and their very honest anger. I have personally responded to hundreds of these notes, apologizing for my mistake, offering new bottles to make amends, realizing that my decision caused people real discomfort.
SIGG has been around for 100 years. Yet, we are still a small company with 127 employees worldwide -- about 90 of those working in our Frauenfeld Switzerland operation. SIGG is not a typical modern corporation and it doesn't have a typical relationship with its customers. People have trusted SIGG and my decision breached that trust. I wish I could turn back the clock and fully disclose the BPA content in our liners. What I can do is make sure that I personally never again compromise SIGG's good name and proud Swiss heritage.
In the next few days, we will announce the first steps in our path to full transparency. These will include some very specific things we will do to make sure we are the honest, green company that our customers expect us to be. We will:
  • Post details about the contents of our bottles: the new liner, the cap, the bottle itself. And we will make the information as transparent and understandable as possible.
  • Make it easy for consumers to exchange their old bottles for new, BPA-free SIGGs.  
[Biome customers can contact Tracey on info@biome.com.au for details on how to exchange your bottles with old lining.  The program will only be offered for a short period of time.  Read our first post on this issue What did SIGG say about BPA?]
  • Unveil an independently managed grant program to help fund BPA and chemical research that will help eliminate confusion and concern about this issue. While we have moved away from BPA in SIGG products, it continues to be used in countless products that we all use each day. If it poses a real threat, we want to help curb its use.
When people buy "Swiss made" products, they are buying quality and peace of mind. I realize that my actions compromised SIGG's relationship with our loyal customers. I pledge to try to rebuild the hard-earned trust you have had in SIGG. I sincerely hope you will allow me to prove myself."  Statement ends.

SIGG also offer stainless steel water bottles made from high quality stainless steel.

24 August 2009

What did SIGG say about BPA?


I have landed back into Brisbane after a wonderful escape around Darwin and Kakadu to be confronted by the reality of managing an eco and ethical business! A few days ago, the CEO of SIGG announced that SIGG water bottles made prior to August 2008 did contain trace amounts of Bisphenol A (BPA), but that the independent test results still stand that show there is no migration or leaching of BPA, phtlalates and other toxins from the lining. In other words, the bottles are still safe. Here is the link to the SIGG CEO's statement

Bottles manufactured since August 2008 have a new liner that is BPA free. It is a powder-based, co‐polyester coating that is also more eco-friendly as its application generates little waste and uses no organic solvents or VOCs. You can check which lining your bottle has by looking inside - the new liner has a dull, pale yellow appearance while the old liner is a shiny, copper bronze.

Prior to this year, Biome has informed customers that while SIGG would not reveal what the lining is made from, the bottles are safe based on independent tests showing no leaching of BPA. We were concerned they would not give full details, but we (and many reputable sources like treehugger.com "SIGG bottles now BPA free") trusted them and the test results.

With the 2009 range, we started saying that the lining is BPA-free, because for the first time SIGG stated this to be the case.

When asked by many sources last year SIGG did not give a straight answer to the question about whether the lining contains BPA. Our belief is that a "sustainable" company must be 100% transparent and disclose full ingredients so that consumers can make their own informed choice. Even if the bottle is safe, we have the right to make the choice.

What can you do? This is not a product recall, because the bottles are still safe and still do what they claimed to do.  Should you have a SIGG bottle with an old lining and are not comfortable to use it, the Australian distributor and Biome will replace the bottle with a new one. To do so, please contact us by email on info@biome.com.au or visit/telephone our stores to discuss the return - 07 3368 3009 (Paddington) or 07 32219842 (City).  We commend SIGG's Australian distributor for not hesitating to do the right thing to resolve this.  If you have any other concerns or comments, please email Tracey on info@biome.com.au.

Biome will continue to sell only SIGG water bottles with the new BPA free lining and their stainless steel range, plus Laken aluminium bottles with a BPA-free lining. We also offer Klean Kanteen and Nathan stainless steel bottles which have no lining. Should you be choosing stainless steel, you still need to be very careful about the quality of the bottle. Choose bottles from a trusted brand that controls the factory and makes their bottles from high-quality, sanitary grade 18/8 or 304 stainless steel with a low nickel content. There are many cheap choices on the market that are purchased "off the mass production shelf" and branded.  sigg bottles

LATEST NEWS :: please see this subsequent post SIGG CEO says sorry 

01 May 2009

Handbag make-over for an eco-cadet


This is an article I wrote for Peppermint Magazine's launch issue in August 2008.

One tote-sized revolution at a time is enough I say. Faced with the enormity of our planet’s eco-troubles, it would be easy to hide behind the Generals. However, the thrill of victory is contagious, so I have resolved to make a series of small advances. Starting with a green makeover for the handbag that carries me through each battle…oops, day.

Tissues. Every parent needs a wad of these for wiping away green trails from small noses (green is good, but not that type). But where are all the recycled choices? We can make recycled paper for wiping other anatomical parts, so why not tissues? I will have to track down some reusable organic cotton hankies instead.

Lipstick. Thankfully my favourite lippie (Sante Shiny Bronze) is already natural and petrochemical-free. Apparently a woman swallows about 2kg of lipstick in her lifetime, so I was an early convert to making sure that it was tasty jojoba oil and plant waxes.

Reusable bags. I freely admit to a type N.R.M.R.B. personality (never remember my reusable bags). Those oversized celebrity handbags look as though they have about six green bags stuffed into them, but my econo-tote calls for a more compact solution. To the rescue, a good friend designed a nifty Stuffit shopping bag that scrunches up so small I can adopt several for my handbag.

BYO fork. We seem to eat so many meals in the car or on the go (incredibly, Australians do eat more meals outside the home than in) and that can mean a lot of waste. I wince when I throw out a once used utensil or container because there are so few recycling bins in public places. Reviving my Girl Guide motto, I’ll Be Prepared in future with a reusable bamboo plastic fork. Why didn’t I think of that 30 forks ago?

Reusable coffee mug. This eco-message has made it through and I love my slimline SIGG thermos that fits neatly in my bag. An even sweeter reward, some coffee shops give a discount when you B.Y.O. cup.

Wallet. Could it be that in my quest to avoid animal hide, my handbag has been infiltrated by the dastardly PVC? That most toxic of all plastics with the recycle symbol #3? I can’t see a symbol on it so I will have to abstain. Hemp it will need to be, or, one made locally from recycled fabric.

Receipts. Among the miscellaneous paraphernalia, 28 receipts. Possibly enough to make a box of recycled paper tissues. If we could all remember to ask for ‘no receipt please’, surely we could save a rainforest or three.

Car keys. Hmm? I can’t get rid of those unless I get rid of the petrol guzzler they ignite. For that skirmish, this cadet will have to return another day…

With thanks to dear friends for the inspirations in this article.

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