put down that water bottle... - Page 2

[Shell]

The latest update from Sierra Club Magazine. I thought it was very well handled. Read their response:


Thanks for your letter. When I edited the Nalgene story, I was not aware that the Club was selling these bottles. (Which is the way it ought to be, right?) But, as a result of your letter, we are discontinuing them. For the record, though, we did note that they are primarily of concern to pregnant women, young children, and women who might get pregnant. While I wouldn't want to call them "safe," I think that people not in those categories can use them without concern.

Thanks for keeping us on our toes, Paul Rauber, senior editor

I am somewhat relieved to hear their opinion that the Nalgene bottles could be used without concern by non-preggers.

[gwen's mom]

Avent bottles

For anyone interested, I called Avent and learned that they too are made out of #7 plastic. The woman at customer service assured me that the studies cited here were completely unfounded. She stated that the bottles had undergone rigorous testing and that they were proven not to be harmful. Of course, what more could I expect from customer service? As I pour EBM in my DD bottle every day as she goes off to daycare I am haunted by the thought of harm I may be causing.

[welldone]

gwen's mom, have you considered glass baby bottles? A web search will turn up many websites that sell them.

We, too, have Avent bottles. She hasn't needed to use them often, but I keep thinking that I'm just going to throw them out! Or, maybe goodpapa could use them in his wall? What an interesting idea!

I do wish that more people sold glass and stainless steel kitchen products for children and families. My husband and I are working on developing safer sippy cups, but we're still in the design phase...until then, it's either plastic or dribbly regular glasses!

[Quirky]

I just ordered some Sigg bottles from www.sierratradingpost.com. They're aluminum with a baked enamel finish inside, with a hard plastic drinking top. Here's the link to the company website: http://www.sigg.ch/

As far as the Avent bottles, I'm considering throwing all mine away. Irony of ironies, I actually bought Avent bottles because they seemed more inert (ie didn't smell plasticky) than my Medela bottles. Shoulda done more research....

The Green Guide (www.thegreenguide.com) recommends avoiding #7 polycarbonate bottles and using glass, #4, or #5 plastics instead.

Brands to use: Playtex disposable baby bottle liners; Evenflo baby bottles (opaque, pastel); Gerber Fashion Tint Bottles; Medela bottles.

Brands to avoid: Avent, Evenflo (clear, untinted), Gerber (clear), Playtex Kinder-Grip bottles; Sassy MAM bottles, The First Years bottles, Tuppercare, VentAire

[milk4two]

I thought the enamel finish was a no-no too. It seems like I heard that somewhere. I'll try and find out the specifics.

[welldone]

millk4two, I'm interested in what you come up with.

Thanks, Jane, for the recommended bottles.

[mother_sunshine]

Sounds good, but isn't aluminum a health concern as well?...or is that just another urban myth?

[BowenTherapist]

i use the knudson juice/ recharge bottles. they have a nice wide mouth for cleaning, and holds a lot of water (i drink about 3 quzarts a day)

[Peppamint]

The SIGG bottles say they are Alloy... so that's the same as aluminum? How much aluminum? They look neat and I bet they're lightweight too. I'm not too keen on drinking out of aluminum, we don't use aluminum cookware.

[Quirky]

The Sigg bottles are great. They're lined with a baked-on enamel, so the water doesn't contact the aluminum directly. They're lightweight, but certainly heavier than plastic water bottles. They also dent and ding fairly easily. You can't squeeze them like you can a plastic water bottle, so you have to suck to get your water out.

[gardenmommy]

This is a little late in the thread, but here goes...
Can someone clue me in as to what Nalgene bottles are, what they look like, where I find them, etc. I've heard that Nalgene bottles are better since the tops are bigger, makes them easier to clean, so they are less likely to harbor bacteria.

Thanks,
Margaret

[Peppamint]

Originally posted by Quirky
The Sigg bottles are great. They're lined with a baked-on enamel, so the water doesn't contact the aluminum directly. They're lightweight, but certainly heavier than plastic water bottles. They also dent and ding fairly easily. You can't squeeze them like you can a plastic water bottle, so you have to suck to get your water out.

Thanks for the info!

[Quirky]

Nalgene bottles are big plastic bottles, often used for camping, made with either a narrow neck or a wide neck and a loop top so the lid can't get lost. If you're going to get one make sure it's the white kind not the translucent kind - you don't want #7 plastic (aka polycarbonate or Lexan) because of the leaching issues. You can find them at places like www.campmor.com

[welldone]

I found a great deal!

For anyone looking for an affordable stainless steel water bottle that holds the same amount of water as a Nalgene, go to Walmart.

I just bought the Ozark Trail Stainless Steel Vacuum Bottle in the camping section of a local Walmart for $12.87 + tax. It's sturdy, has an opening big enough for ice cubes, holds 1.0 L/33.9 oz. liquid, and has both a handle and an optional carrying strap.

I've been looking for months, using old Snapple bottles in the meantime, and this is the best deal there is!

Happy shopping, and happy clean drinking water!
Serina

[MamaMonica]

GI Joes has inexpensive ones as well.