We Have a Bit of a SIGG-tuation On Our Hands

Conscious consumers are feeling disheartened and deceived, as news broke earlier this week that SIGG stainless steel water bottles produced before August 2008 contain trace amounts of Bisphenol-A. This chemical was once widely used as a protective coating on plastic water bottles, but in recent years has been outed for causing reproductive issues and is even classified as a toxic substance in Canada. The original BPA backlash led many consumers to abandon their favorite Nalgenes in favor of “safer” stainless steel bottles, and this new information might now lead the same people to abandon SIGG for Kleen Kanteen, CamelBak and other certified BPA free options.

What is interesting about this particular issue is that the public outcry is not over the existence of BPA in the stainless steel bottle liners, but rather over the lack of transparency demonstrated by SIGG. Even though the company claims the bottles absolutely, 100% do not leach BPA into water, moms, bloggers and branders alike are questioning the way SIGG chose to casually omit information regarding the presence of the chemical in their bottles – bottles consumers consciously chose with the belief that they were BPA free.

The people have spoken (on Twitter, FaceBook and blogs), and they don’t like being lied to. See the links below for some articles that address this issue, including an Ad Age take on what this means for the SIGG brand, quoting BBMG founding partner Mitch Baranowski.

Ad Age: Sigg Tries to Control Brand Damage After Admitting Its Bottles Contain BPA

Cool Mom Picks: Breaking News – Sigg Bottles Contain BPA After All. Sigh.

Triple Pundit: Surprise! Sigg Bottles Contain BPA After All