The Dispute of SIGG Water Bottles

There is much commotion in the online community regarding the quality and properties of SIGG water bottles. The main conversation is (and has been for quite some time) around the manufacture of their bottles and how they are lined.

The company has been repeatedly asked the same questions: What exactly is the liner inside your water bottles? How is it produced? Consumers and retailers alike received the same answers regarding the actual process being a trade secret that they were not able to share. Without getting a real answer, people continued to ask because they were not satisfied with the round about answer given to them.

In the mean time, SIGG has been working to produce and manufacture a new type of liner. At this point and time, all of the SIGG water bottles featured on Wedge Worldwide are made with their latest technology. The liner of the water bottles is their "next generation 'EcoCare' liner," which is "100% free of BPA, phthalates, BADGE, BFDGE, and NOGE." (quoted from the letter below from the SIGG CEO, Steve Wasik).

Here is a recent letter from the CEO of SIGG, Steve Wasik with their most recent public statement:
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CEO Letters about our liners
20.08.2009

Dear SIGG Customer,

(STAMFORD CT) – 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. 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, phthalates, BADGE, BFDGE, and NOGE. It is also environmentally friendly as its application generates virtually no waste and utilizes no organic solvents or VOCs. Our new bottle liner is not only a technological advance; it’s a major step forward in SIGG’s journey towards sustainability.

To be clear, all SIGG bottles made since August 2008 contain our new BPA free EcoCare liner. SIGG bottles manufactured prior to August 2008 have the former water‐based epoxy liner which contains trace amounts of BPA. These bottles have been thoroughly tested and showed 0% leaching of BPA. It is easy to determine which liner you have, as they are of 2 distinctly different colors FAQ's. Visit www.MySIGG.com/liner for more information.

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.
I am proud to say that SIGG took action quickly back in 2006 to begin the development of a high performance bottle liner that is BPA free. In addition, we have developed a special section on our website that we will be updating regularly where you can find independent laboratory testing on SIGG and other bottle brands as well as an update on the BPA situation as it continues to develop (www.MySIGG.com/bulletin). We want our current and potential customers to have the facts. SIGG is a Swiss company that has earned a reputation for quality over the last 100 years. Our success has been a result of ensuring that SIGG customers are always and completely satisfied with our products and our service. If you have further questions or comments please feel free to email me directly at steve.wasik.ceo(at)sigg.com

Sincerely,
Steve

Steve Wasik
CEO, SIGG Switzerland
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It seems that this letter has been sent out to all of their retailers and posted on their website. The above copy was taken directly from their website.

I wanted to post this information to ensure that our shoppers and readers are given the most up-to-date information around this important topic.

written by Jessie

Like Fine Winesby Melissa Farris

The word “aromatherapy” was originally coined by the French chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé in 1920. In an unforeseen laboratory accident, Gattefossé set his arm on fire and immediately thrust it into the nearest vat of cold liquid, which happened to be lavender oil. Instantly, he felt soothing pain relief and watched as the burn continued to heal quickly, with no inflammation or scarring. The profound healing benefits led him to a lifetime of research in a field that he termed “aromatherapy.”

As a clinical herbalist and aromatherapist, I have seen the profound healing effects of essential oils in my 15 years of practice. Therapeutic-grade essential oils can work to heal common ailments where other medications fail. Essential oil blends can be used to treat many conditions, without the side effects that synthetic chemicals may cause. They work quickly and effectively to soothe pain and inflammation.

A pocket-sized first aid kit
Lavender oil is considered to be the panacea of aromatherapy. Because it is used for so many different kinds of ailments, it makes a perfect pocket-sized first aid kit. Pure, therapeutic-grade, organic lavender oil can be used to treat burns, sunburns, cuts, scrapes, insect bites and acne, amongst many other applications. It provides fast, soothing relief upon contact. And lavender’s sweet smell is only a secondary benefit! So, the next time you burn yourself on the stove, get bitten by a nasty bug, or accidentally cut yourself, consider using lavender to heal your wound.

The Latin root of “lavender,” lavare, means “to clean” or “wash oneself”. Historically used to fight the plague and other pestilence, this powerful essential oil is also gentle enough to be applied “neat”, or undiluted, directly on the skin. Keeping a bottle of lavender in your home pharmacy, car or workplace is a must.

There are dozens of essential oils that can be used for many treatments as well as lavender. Some favorites of mine are Peppermint for nausea, headaches and mental clarity; Helichrysum italicum for bruising, swelling, sprains and strains (a great post-workout treatment); Roman chamomile for its anti-spasmotic action: Blue Chamomile for its anti-inflamitory effects: and Tea Tree for its strong anti-microbial effects on pimples, athlete’s foot and dandruff.

The importance of organic
Plants make essential oils to protect themselves from pests, bacteria and environmental stress. By carefully distilling plants such as lavender (it takes about one ton of lavender plants to produce only four liters of essential oil!), we can use their healing oils for our own ailments. But if you spray a plant like lavender with pesticides and herbicides, the lavender will not produce its own natural healing chemicals, because the pesticides are doing that job for the plant.

It is also common to find adulterated essential oils in the market place. Adulterated or synthetic oils can cause short –term side effects such as rashes, buring or other irriations.

When an essential oils is labeled organic, this certification ensures that the plants were farmed, harvested, distilled and distributed accourding to organic methods.

So it is very important that we choose organic essential oils when we are using them for their therapeutic qualities. I suggest reputable health-food stores and cooperatives. Ask the folks who work there if the essential oils they offer are certified organic, and if the essential oil company sources their oils directly from the distilleries where they were made. You will find that essential oils are like fine wines. It may take a while for your nose to recognize a great lavender or roman chamomile. But have patience, because learning to care for yourself with natural healing and beauty products is a self-empowering gift. And most importantly, have fun!

Melissa Farris is the owner of and formulator for Veriditas Botanicals, LLC in Minneapolis, MN. Melissa has been an international educator and working closely with cooperative and indepentant distillers for over a decade. Veriditas imports therapeutic-grade, organic essential oils directly from sustainable producers worldwide.
Check out Melissa Farris's essential oils currently available on Wedge Worldwide!