Laken Calls for BPA-free Standards in Reusable Water Bottles

Posted: 08/19/2009 In Category: Outdoor Manufacturer

Industry News Release Written By: Laken USA

Bozeman, Montana — Laken, makers of certified BPA-free water bottles, calls for industry-wide standards when promoting and selling BPA-free, reusable water bottles. As Laken adheres to a strict, accredited BPA certifications and attention to quality, the company has partnered with the Outdoor Industry Association as a consultant in drafting Senator Charles Schumer’s bill to ban BPA in food and beverage containers for infants and toddlers.

Sales of reusable, aluminum water bottles have seen a notable spike since the public’s increased awareness around the harmful effects of Bisphenol A or BPA -- which is linked to cancer causing agents and developmental disorders. Laken’s regular quality-control tests for BPA, at Laboratorio Químico Microbiológico S.A, a third-party laboratory in Spain, ensures their bottles are safe. Laken sponsored tests at the Químico Microbiológico lab to conduct an industry-wide test on popular aluminum bottle brands and alarmingly, recent results reveal many leach BPA, even while these brand's advertise BPA-free products.

“There continues to be a growing amount of unregulated bottles coming into the US from China and Europe that are claiming to be BPA-free to capitalize on the market's demands for safe, reusable bottles,” states Laken USA’s President Greg Garrigues. “This is compromising consumer’s health and frankly misleading. That’s why Laken has become adamant about establishing industry-wide standards for safe, reusable water bottles and why we stand behind the BPA Free Act for Kids.”

Countries worldwide, including European countries and Canada, have passed standards that prohibit manufacturers from advertising products as BPA-free if they don’t meet accredited testing standards. In the United States, as consumers become more aware of BPA standards, many aluminum water bottle suppliers have removed BPA-free language from their websites and marketing materials, but still position their bottles as “healthy”. BPA leaches from the liners that seal the inside of aluminum bottles, cans, and other food grade containers to protect contents from bacteria.

Laken’s proprietary liner, which is close in chemical makeup to nylon, is safe, and 100% BPA-free. To ensure consistency, before the liner is baked to the bottle’s inner lining, a mechanical, optical-eye scans the inside of each bottle to verify that the coating is even. Laken's bottles are coated internally and externally before the threads are set on the outside of the mouth, which is a unique advantage to Laken's manufacturing process. Alternatively, competitors place the threads in the mouth first, and then coat the bottle, which can expose the user to the aluminum if the liquids leach under the threads. On the outside of Laken bottles, the external paint is polyester-based, which is food friendly and BPA-free. A polyester powder is added in the final stages to compliment the thicker walls of a Laken bottle to make an overall, more durable bottle, with a longer life. The longer life amortizes the energy invested in the bottle over a longer period, and ensures the sustainability of a reusable bottle. Laken’s lids are made from food grade polypropylene in a regulated Spanish manufacturing facility and are also third-party tested to ensure the lids won’t expose consumers to PVC or other volatile chemicals. At the end of a Laken bottles life and to adhere to the company’s commitment to the environment, all of its components, including the lid, are 100% recyclable.

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