The Story of SIGG: Proprietary vs. Transparency

Our experience with SIGG has made for an interesting story.  This month we were finally able to read the last chapter – and the ending was just as we thought it would be.

Back in 2006 when The Soft Landing was just being hatched and I had begun to search for BPA-free alternatives, SIGG was one of three major metal water bottle brands.  They promoted their products to me, a prospective retailer, as BPA-free, making SIGG an obvious choice to add to our budding BPA, PVC & Phthalate-free store.  I did eventually add them in early 2007 and  sold them like hotcakes.

As time went on, more information about BPA - its toxicity in low doses and its shocking number of unsuspected uses – was brought to light at neck-breaking speed.  Consumer advocates pushed harder for change and the market place began to respond in late 2007.  With my family’s help, we worked hard to stay ahead of the tidal wave by confirming and reconfirming the BPA-free status of each product offered in our store.  So when we learned in early 2008 that nearly all aluminum food containers were lined with a BPA-based epoxy - we immediately realized that we needed to contact SIGG to question their BPA-free claim.  Would they be one of the very few companies like Eden Organics to use a truly BPA-free lining?

The answer we got was not what we expected from a powerhouse like SIGG with such a green reputation.  We were being told that the lining was “leach-free” and that they could not disclose their proprietary formula.  When we insisted that they confirm whether the lining was BPA-free, they responded with the same tired rhetoric we were accustomed to hearing from companies like Fisher Price and Similac.  We made the decision that day to stick with our policy of not carrying products made by companies who refuse to be transparent.  We immediately stopped selling SIGG aluminum bottles based on our gut feeling that there was more to this story.  We also stopped recommending them based on failure to confirm their products BPA-free status.

SIGG’s CEO confirmed our suspicions in a letter released this month - their aluminum bottles did contain small amounts of BPA after all.  In the letter, they went to great pains to explain that they spent millions of dollars developing a new lining and that their bottles no longer contain BPA as of August 2008.  Do they realize that it’s now August 2009?  Why in the world are they just spilling the beans? Haven’t we grown beyond this ”proprietary” nonsense yet?  Well, maybe not.  Have a look at SIGG’s answer to these questions:

“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.”

Are you kidding?  We’re not interested in dealing with another used car salesman.  There are too many other top notch water bottle companies out there!  It’s not about the “mere presence of BPA” or that their studies didn’t show any leaching – it’s about the principle of trust.  We as parents, consumers and advocates should demand transparency from companies who build their entire foundation on being healthy and green.

What to do with older SIGG bottles?

We’ve been asked if we trust that the bottles are truly BPA-free now, and our answer to that question is yes, they probably are.  It’s our opinion that SIGG wouldn’t lay their neck on the line unless they had a lining that could be opened to scrutiny and proven to be BPA-free.  We’ve also been asked what to do with bottles made before August 2008 – we suggest you use their own comparison images to decipher which type of bottle you have and contact them directly for a refund or replacement.

Photo Source: SIGG.com