They're All the Rage

My inner circle must be a little smallish, because I somehow missed out on the new trend toward the use of bpa-free, nonplastic beverage containers. In fact, I was informed yesterday that plastic, which America knows and loves, is now hazardous to our health because, for example, it can leak harmful chemicals into bottled water or other beverages that are stored for long periods of time, and perhaps even more potentially harmful--it can break down and contaminate food that's microwaved in plastic dishes.

So, I'm advised to do a Google search on "bpa free" to find out more about this. In the meantime, I've learned that Sigg company of Switzerland is in high demand to produce their cool and attractive (really artsy) aluminum/ceramic bottles. The demand is so high that when I visited their online store yesterday, I read that Internet sales have been discontinued for the indefinite future because they simply don't have enough product. Check out www.mysigg.com.

You don't have to order from Switzerland though--at least, if you act quickly you may be able to purchase from a selection at certain Whole Foods stores and REI outdoors stores. There are some others too that I'm less familiar with.

The bottles I saw were $19.00. They cannot go into a dishwasher, and large ice cubes won't fit into them. Because they are narrow, an assortment of bottle brushes have been offered to help with cleaning. But these bottles are so cool and personalized! I recall the joy we had as kids in the 1970s drinking from the thermoses that came with our lunchboxes. ("You have Scooby Doo, I have Micky Mouse")

However, Sigg isn't the only company with an alternative to plastic bottles. Also very cool, from what I saw yesterday, is the cheaper selection (less artsy) by Klean Kanteen (www.kleankanteen.com). These canteens are made from food-grade stainless steel, and they can go into the dishwasher. They have small sizes for kids to sip from and several larger sizes and an assortment of caps to purchase.

Honestly, I don't use much bottled water and when I do, I recycle the bottles so that they won't overflow the landfills. But that's an environmental issue. If we're talking health, then what about my beloved Tupperware pitcher that has served me so well for the past 15 years? What about my plastic sandwich bags?

For now, I'll continue heating my food on stoneware plates and worry about the rest later. But I may get some of those cool new bottles.