SIGG is offering a free bottle exchange, before October 31st.

You know those shiny metal water bottles you replaced your old Nalgene^TM ones with? (Yeah, the ones you practically maxed out your credit cards to buy…) Well, it turns out that some of them – most notably those made by so-called eco-friendly manufacturers SIGG and Gaiam – may be lined with a material that leaches bisphenol A (a.k.a. BPA), the nasty endocrine-disrupting, cancer-causing chemical you were trying to avoid in the first place! (Scroll down to read one of our older blog posts or visit ewg.org to learn more about BPA and how you can reduce your exposures.)

The “good” news is that SIGG is offering a voluntary exchange program if you have a SIGG bottle that was made prior to August 2008. (Here’s how to tell whether or not you have one of the bottles in question.) You may also be able to return your bottle to any major retailer, such as EMS, in exchange for a new BPA-free version. Either way, make sure you act fast! The program ends on October 31^st.

If, like me, all this information makes your head swim and leaves you thirsty for some unbiased suggestions about what kind of bottle you should (or shouldn’t) buy, “The ZRecs 2009 BPA-Free Water Bottle Showdown” includes reviews for nearly 40 alternatives.

Last weekend, I went the Pittsburgh Steelers football game and, in lieu of my terrible towel, I got a pink towel.  The pink towel reads: A Crucial Catch, Annual Screening Saves Lives.  October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and PPNNE is encouraging women to make breast exams a priority. According to the Breast Cancer Fund, breast cancer strikes more women in the world than any other type of cancer, except skin cancer. 

Last month at PPNNE’s conference, A Critical Link: The Environment and Women’s Health, Dr. Janet Gray spoke about the growing body of scientific evidence linking chemicals and radiation in our environment to the current high rates of breast cancer. There is a ton of information out there on what chemicals can cause cancer; reading Dr. Gray’s report is a great place to start.
 
The Breast Cancer Fund, with the help of Dr. Gray and the Daily Green, is posting prevention tips on their Facebook page each weekday for Breast Cancer Awareness Month-check it out.   
 
Here are some of their tips:
 -Choose a bisphenol A (BPA)-free water or baby bottle
 -Drink safe water (not in a plastic bottle)
 -Choose truly “microwave-safe” containers – no plastic or plastic wrap

What’s the old saying?  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In addition to these tips, remember that getting a yearly breast exam is crucial.