I've been avoiding it...

We so love our Nalgene water bottles. Even though I've been hearing for a long time now that they are not good for you, I tried to remain naive for as long as I could. I only had a vague idea of what it is about them - that when exposed to extreme temperatures, they leach 'chemicals'. Just what chemicals, and where they are going is what I was avoiding. I've been scouring the shelves at every kind of store for stainless steel water bottles, but I can't find them anywhere so I've been trying to hold out on realizing that we need to get rid of our Nalgenes. They are just so pretty with all the colors and choices...and they're not cheap, so to just toss them would be very painful.

Anyway, here's some links and a brief summary of what I've come up with in the last hour or so.

Detox Nalgene gives the best information in the most brief way.

Klean Kanteen, an alternative to the plastic bottles.

The Green Guide talks more about why they are bad, and states that #2 and #4 Nalgene bottles are available, but I can't find any information on the Nalgene website telling me which bottles are made from 2 and 4, versus #7 (=bad).

~ Most Nalgene water bottles are made from polycarbonate plastic, also known as #7. Polycarbonate plastic is made from bisphenol A, also known as BPA.

~ These containers leach endocrine-harming chemicals (in the form of BPA) into the water, thus your body, when exposed to extreme temperatures, but also just over time if the water is left in the bottle. Also, as the water bottle ages, the amount of chemicals it leaches grows.

~ #2, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and #4, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) are the safer alternatives which don't leach BPA, if you can figure out which ones those are!

Wow...looks like I have to start figuring out our replacements. Detox Nalgene gives some helpful ideas as to what you can do with your old bottles (I do love storage containers!) which I've pasted below. If I've gotten any of this wrong, please feel free to correct me. I mean, don't say something like, "No, that's not true, they're completely safe." But if some of my details are off, go for it.

• Turn your Nalgene into a pen and pencil holder
• Loose change receptacle
• A new home for rubber bands and paper clips and other desk supplies
• Use if for a flower vase
• Turn your old Nalgene into a handy toiletries kit by placing smaller, sealed containers inside
• If you change the oil in your car yourself put the used motor oil in the Nalgene for transporting it to the proper disposal place
• Use it in a sculpture!
• Storage for random things, including: nails, screws, outlet adapters, etc