Why Not Aluminum Bottles?
No matter how much marketing dollars aluminum bottle makers put towards making their drinking bottles seem completely safe, they just aren’t. Aluminum is simply not a safe product to use for a drinking bottle as it can have dangerous effects if leached into our water. Let’s take a look as some of the ways aluminum bottle makers claim that their bottles are safe, but are completely true.
100% Safe Liner
The first thing that comes to my mind is, why do you need a liner in the first place if the bottle is so safe? Aluminum bottles makers usually use an epoxy liner on the inside of their bottles that is made to avoid contact of the liquid to the aluminum container. It seems like a lot of trouble to use aluminum when you have to put a liner on the inside just to make it safe. If this liner happens to scratch or break, the aluminum could now be leaching into your water.
BPA Free
Aluminum bottle makers have had to constantly defend their bottles against critics who say their bottles aren’t BPA free as they claim. Sigg currently is the largest, most popular and trusted manufacturer of Aluminum drinking bottles and has taken the most heat on this issue, but they still defended their claims. It was just revealed recently that Sigg Bottles do contain BPA. If such a trusted name in the industry was so deceiving about their bottles containing BPA, can you really trust any of them? The reason why so many switched to aluminum bottles was to avoid BPA in plastic bottles. Now all their claims seem to come into question, can you really trust these companies any more?
Comparable Bottles Dangerous
Aluminum bottle makers have even taken to attacking stainless steel and plastic bottles claiming they are not as safe as their bottles. Stainless steel bottles may not be perfect, but they do not require an interior lining to make them safe. They also are more durable than aluminum and are priced comparably. I see no reason why aluminum bottles are any different from plastic ones. Plastic is exposed to your water in either bottle and now we know that some aluminum bottles could even contain BPA.
Next you need a drinking bottle, it seems to make more sense to stick with buying a stainless steel bottle from a reputable company or reusing a glass drinking bottle.
Comments
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September 10th, 2009Trackback from : Why Not Aluminum Bottles? | Pays to Live Green | drinkingglasses
I was working outside a few weeks ago and lost my plastic bottle, so am going to be buying a new one soon. I had been thinking about aluminum, simply because I wanted to move away from plastic, but you raise some really good points.
It seems like the only advantage aluminum has over steel is perhaps its weight. I will have to do some more thinking before I buy a new bottle…
I was wondering if you knew anything about glass bottles. I had a glass water bottle for a while, and yes it was heavy, but it seemed like the safest option for me. Any thoughts?
I’m with you, glass bottles are definitely the safest option. The only downsides are that they are heavy and can break easy. They make the most sense for most and are the most economical.
The truth always comes out eventually, if its not nalgene bottles being usafe, its aluminium bottles that are potentially dangerous. Although not very desireable, glass may be the safest route to go!
I normally use plastic bottles.. never really use aluminum and glass bottles as they are heavy to carry. There are rumors that aluminum contributes to Alzheimer’s disease. Is it true?
There are concerns that it could cause health issues if too much aluminum is in our water. The biggest health issues are that it can cause nerve damage and lung disorders. Some have proposed that allowing aluminum to enter our bodies is linked to Alzheimer’s and possibly cancer. There is no definitive proof to that, but it’s best that we avoid aluminum as much as possible.
Check out my natural deodorant post for more information on the possible breast cancer link.
You are right first we should analyze the safety of aluminum bottles and you have made good point for that.
It is interesting that aluminum is such a bad choice. Most would assume that switching to any metal bottle would be better than using plastic. Deceptive marketing practices have led people to assume a product is safe when it might not be. Thanks for sharing this info with us.
Excellent post Patrick – I couldn’t agree with you more, aluminum is not safe for water – or food. Even though there’s no definitive proof linking aluminum with Alzheimer’s I stopped using aluminum cookware years ago. While glass is heavier I believe it is the safest. My drinking bottle of choice is a 16 oz glass vinegar bottle. I made a little cozy for my bottle out of neoprene (the stuff scuba suits are made of). It cushions the bottle a bit from bumps AND keeps my water cold! As an aside, I’m a programmer also
I have heard of a company called Naturally Iowa that is providing pure, natural, award-winning spring water in 100% biodegradable bottles made entirely from corn. Even the packaging is made from PLA. I have yet to try the product, but it sounds like an amazing alternative to plastic and refilling your reusable bottles with sketchy tap water. I have done quite a bit of research on this subject, and most bottled water and tap water contain quite a bit of contaminants, and many filters people use for their tap contain vast amounts of the plastic people are trying to get away from. It really sucks that every place you turn, there is going to be plastic involved, and with it comes the health and environmental affects. This product sounds like a pretty good alternative.
Actually, the whole thing about aluminium causing Alzheimer’s disease is a myth. To increase the chances of this disease you must consume at least 2000 mg of aluminium a day, something in the order of 2000 cups of tea, which is the highest source of aluminium. You would literally need to eat the bottle to cause any damage.
If you have a concern about aluminum bottles, then don’t use them! There are multiple eco-friendly alternatives. For example, Klean Kanteen uses high-quality stainless steel. There is NO liner, NO BPA, and NO leaching. However, you don’t have to completely rule out aluminum. Brands such as SIGG redesigned their liner to be completely safe and BPA free, so they’re trustworthy also! Thanks for the blog!
Hi,
I red the article with interest, and surprised to see how people jumps to conclusions, express opinion right after reading. It looks like negativity prevails on common sense.
I came to read this post after reading other relevant article and find the wiki explanation the most neutral among everything I red.
Here below is a copy of the article:
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Metals have been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, although it is unlikely that they are the sole cause for any of them. Interest in a possible connection between aluminum and Alzheimer’s disease arose when autopsies of the brains of Alzheimer’s patients revealed higher than normal concentrations of aluminum. The toxicity of aluminum has been the subject of much controversy in the past few decades. Although it is generally believed that the metal is harmless to human health, a role for aluminum in Alzheimer’s disease has been suggested. The exact mechanism of aluminum toxicity is not known and a direct causal role has not been determined. Many scientists believe that the buildup of aluminum in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients is the result of damage to nerve cells, rather than the cause of this damage. Some studies have even suggested that the processing of the brain tissue at autopsy may artificially raise aluminum levels. However, there is some evidence showing that aluminum compounds may increase the formation of agents called reactive oxygen species. These substances, which are constantly formed in the human body, have been shown to damage proteins and play a role in various diseases. In relation to Alzheimer’s disease, these compounds may play an important role in nerve cell damage. Aluminum is also known to alter the activity of several key enzymes in the central nervous system. Further, there are also some studies showing elevated risk of Alzheimer’s disease in areas where there is high concentration of aluminum in drinking water. This is in contrast to many studies examining antacid exposure and Alzheimer’s disease that have been largely negative (antacids contain thousands of times more aluminum than the amounts taken in through drinking water). Exposure to aluminum from cooking utensils, baking powder, deodorants, or antacids is not sufficient to cause the disease. In total, these studies provide some evidence that potential links between aluminum and Alzheimer’s disease exist, but this area requires continued research efforts.
Hope this clear some clouds..
Roberto