Guide Note: The laboratory-products company, Nalgene (or Nalge Nunc International), was founded in 1949 (as the Nalga Company), and manufactures shatterproof plastic containers including petri dishes, pipette holders, test tubes, bottles, and storage tanks.
Nalgene water bottles:
In the 1970s, company president Marsh Hyman began researching a line of consumer products for hikers and campers, after his son's Boy Scout troop adopted Nalgene bottles as canteens and for other storage. The company introduced a line of consumer water bottles that became near-ubiquitous by the 1990s.
Animal testing controversy:
animal-rights activists launched a boycott of Nalgene products in 1997, due to the company's manufacture of products used in animal testing. Nalgene responded to the boycott by affirming a company-wide commitment to the federal Animal Welfare Act.
Bisphenol A controversy:
Some Nalgene consumer bottles are made of a polycarbonate plastic that has been shown to exude small amounts of chemicals including Bisphenol A (BPA), which is toxic to the human endocrine system. While the amounts are below recognized levels of hazard, research on BPA is ongoing.
Canadian regulation and product recall:
On April 18, 2008, Health Canada, the regulatory body of the Canadian government, released a statement saying that BPA "endangers people — particularly newborns and infants — and the environment," and began procedures to limit the sale of polycarbonate plastics.
Prior to the announcement, Nalgene had announced that it would phase out the use of such plastics in its consumer lines. On April 18, Nalgene announced a recall of some of the affected products.
Fast Facts:
- Company based in Rochester, New York
- A division of Thermo Fisher Scientific
- Polycarbonate plastics are extremely common, and are found in items such as CDs
- U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has criticized the FDA for approving Bisphenol A
- Nalgene's recently-launched 'Everyday' line is not polycarbonate-based
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