Nalgene's Tides of Change

Nalgene's Tides of Change

By Jeff Siddons

Up until a few years ago, Nalgene, a U.S. plastics manufacturer popular for making reusable drinking containers, manufactured the majority of their products with Bisphenol A (BPA) laden polycarbonate.

However, recently, speculation regarding the potential health risks of BPA and human contact has come to light. In 2008, the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) published a study created by Iain Lang and his colleagues. After conducting a cross-sectional study of approximately 1,500 humans, Lang concluded that elevated BPA levels
were associated with heart disease, diabetes and an uncommon escalation of liver enzymes.

The aforementioned research, coupled with a handful of BPA-related health studies, posed a serious threat to the present image and future existence of Nalgene as a company.

As the message spread, large retailers began pulling BPA based Nalgene products from their shelves. At first, only a few small stores removed bottles, but after camping supply giant REI went BPA-free, Nalgene found itself standing on the edge of a cliff.

As a reaction, Nalgene halted the production of BPA bottles and began using BPA-free copolyester. To avoid a PR image disaster, the public affairs people at Nalgene created the "Nalgene Choice" information center on their website. By addressing BPA concerns, explaining the phase-out of old bottles and introducing the BPA-free "Everyday" bottle, Nalgene aimed to minimize the consumer backlash and retain customers.

To this day, Nalgene is a fully functioning manufacturer operating out of Rochester, NY. If those in charge had blinked and not reacted forthwith, they would have found themselves drowning in consumer disapproval.