Product Review and a Rant: Sigg BPA-free liner bottles

In 2008, Sigg issued a voluntary recall of it's water bottles because it had been found that the liner had trace amounts of bisphenol-A (BPA). To participate in the recall, all you needed to do was ship your water bottle off to Switzerland, and a month or so later, you get a new BPA-free water bottle. Hooray! I decided to participate in the recall. I knew already that for a healthy adult, trace amounts of BPA weren't shown to be harmful, but I figured hey - it's a new water bottle - and the one I had was already a few years old (and in perfectly excellent condition). Some people at work were sending a box of water bottles, so I stuck mine in with them. My favourite red water bottle, branded with my yoga studio's logo, was sent away never to be seen again.

A month or so later, I received my new Sigg bottle. I was happy! Started using it right away (after cleaning, of course). But only a few months into using it, I noticed some major flaws in my shiny happy new water bottle. I don't remember dropping it ever, but it suddenly had huge dents in it and the paint on the dents was peeling away. I figured that well - it happens. Water bottles fall down I guess. And, being an aluminum bottle, not stainless steel, it was bound to dent. I thought it a little odd that in the three years that I'd had the previous bottle though, it had not a single dent or ding.

But shortly after, my water bottle produced another unfortunate surprise. While happily sipping my water, I tasted something sharp. Sharp? Water?? I peered inside and to my surprise, found that the liner INSIDE THE BOTTLE around the lip (where the cap screws in) was peeling away! I hadn't been scrubbing it or using a bottle brush or anything, just drinking! I peeled out the loose pieces. It didn't look like too much had come off, but I gave it a good cleaning just in case and carried on using my bottle. Silly me.

I emailed Sigg to voice my concern and disappointment. I explained that I had received this bottle after voluntarily giving up my perfectly good one, because they had convinced me that this one would be of the same or better quality. Somehow, ingesting the BPA-free liner sounds significantly less healthy to me than drinking plain ol' water from the old bottle! They never replied. I sent a second email to their customer support people. That was two months ago, and I have yet to receive anything.

This week produced two events that have become the last straw. The other day, bottle in my bag, I discovered to my horror that the lid no longer screws in all the way without a great deal of force. How did I figure this out? The pool of water at the bottom of my bag. Leaking all over the subway. Drenching my textbooks and yes - LIBRARY BOOKS - along with hat, gloves, and other items that I would prefer not to be soaked. Awesome. Today I cleaned my bottle again, after having suffered through a cold all week. When I pulled my bottle brush out, surprise! What remained of the liner around the screw-cap pulled clean off when I removed the brush. My mouth is now fully exposed to the aluminum within.

Enough is enough! The bottle has now been demoted to an expensive, dented plant watering can. I am now on the hunt for a new water bottle, and it will not be a Sigg. Even though I hear that they now produce stainless steel bottles, I refuse to purchase this product anymore.

I searched online to see if anyone else is having this problem of peeling liners, and yes, many others have! Numerous people stated that they emailed Sigg with the exact same problems (peeling liner around the lid, people who may have ingested pieces of it, bottles that dent and peel a lot easier than the previous ones), and not one of them has received a response. Why is Sigg ignoring this?? Clearly, this new liner is inferior to the old one. Despite being BPA-free, I would really prefer that my liner stay IN the bottle, not be consumed with my water! Especially since their bottles are made of aluminum, not stainless steel, this should be a MAJOR priority!!! While the previous between aluminum and Alzheimer's have been questioned and some studies disproven, it is known that aluminum leaches into water (which stainless stess does not). I'd really rather not be consuming excess aluminum in my water, whether or not it is linked to Alzheimer's.

What's your water bottle/container?

Happy New Year!

Happy 2011!

The start of a new year is a great time for reflection, both of the previous year and of what we hope the new year will bring. Many of us set a new year's resolution, a goal that is supposed to guide us through the next 12 months. The problem, though, is that few of us actually follow through on these resolutions. You've no doubt noticed that the population of gyms, yoga classes, Weight Watchers meetings, etc. grow exponentially at this time of year, only to return to their original size by February. What gives?

Here's how I see it. A resolution is a goal that we set for the long term. For many of us, we set this goal without really thinking it through and making any kind of action plan - such as resolving to lose 50 pounds, eat healthier, become more active. On January 1st, we go out and join a gym, see results in the first week or two, and we are happy with our success. Suddenly it becomes more challenging. To see the same results, we have to work harder. It becomes less desirable to go to the gym now that you have to go more often and do more activity. Because we haven't made a sustainable plan to deal with these challenges, it becomes overwhelming. Soon after, we quit, resolution long forgotten.

Rather than making a resolution, I encourage you to consider making an intention. As I see it, an intention gives guidance for the present moment, rather than setting out large, often unrealistic goals for the long term all at once. Who says that we need the start of a new year to set a goal? Why not make an intention to guide each day! Setting a simple intention each day helps to relieve that heavy burden of a giant goal, basing your goal on your needs in this moment. Intentions are not the same thing as goals - a goal focuses on the future, often how we envision our lives to be at some point in the future. Goals often either beget more goals, or collapse entirely. Intentions are not focused on the future, they focus on the present moment instead. Your attention is set to what is happening right now, because our flow in life is always changing!

Goals are still very important and useful, as they help to direct our lives toward a specific trajectory. For example, becoming a dietitian is my long-term goal, so I have the goals of doing well in my classes to get to that final goal. In the meantime, my intentions will help me to not become attached to the outcome, and to help me make goals that are reasonable, attainable, and serve me well. While the goals are exciting and provide the ups and downs of life, coming back to an intention will help to keep you grounded, provide peace of mind, and help you to see your goals in a larger context of your life.

So ring in the new year with new goals and hopes for better living in the future - but consider making an intention to help you get there!