Voting with your pocketbook hits a snag
Sigg recently revealed that their re-useable water bottles made before August 2008 contain traces of BPA, a chemical increasingly linked to a variety of health disorders.
At Oregon Environmental Council, we encourage consumers to “vote with your pocketbook.” Choose sustainably produced food, energy-efficient appliances and toxic-free products, and you let businesses know that their customers value a green bottom line.
That’s why it’s discouraging news that Sigg was not forthcoming about its product. Sigg recently revealed that their re-useable water bottles made before August 2008 contain traces of BPA, a chemical increasingly linked to a variety of health disorders. Consumers who chose Sigg over plastic water bottles, mistakenly thinking they “voted” for a BPA-free product, are pretty unhappy.
The actual exposure risk from BPA in Sigg bottles is likely far less than that from canned food, canned soda or polycarbonate (#7) plastic baby bottles and sippy cups. The Sigg incident reminds us why better chemical policy would be good for both consumers and businesses. If chemicals were given proper scrutiny for health effects before they made it into to consumer products, consumers could shop with confidence – and companies like Sigg wouldn’t have to decide whether or not to reveal their “proprietary” lining.
Kudos to Sigg and other manufacturers who’ve voluntarily re-formulated to eliminate BPA. Kudos to Connecticut and Minnesota for protecting consumers by restricting BPA. Oregon should do the same – and we should take a look at how to ensure safe products by passing better, safer chemical policies.
