What You Need to Know about Stainless Steel vs. Aluminum Water Bottles

A wide variety of water bottles on the market today are made from aluminum. So why does Green Irene only carry stainless steel reusable bottles, and not SIGG brand or other aluminum bottles?

For those unaware, the large majority of SIGG bottles are made of aluminum, which has links to Alzheimer’s and other potential health risks. A class action lawsuit has been filed against SIGG for making aggressive claims that their aluminum water bottles were BPA-free (BPA, otherwise known as Bisphenol A, is an industrial chemical used primarily to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins). Consumers purchased SIGG bottles unaware that these aluminum bottles require an epoxy liner to prevent the aluminum from leaching into their water.

Aluminum is known to leach various chemicals which are bad for your health. To counter leaching, many aluminum bottle companies will line the inside of their bottles with an epoxy, ceramic, plastic, or other unknown coating. These coatings have been known to leach or crack over the life of the bottle. We feel it’s safest to know exactly what is coming into contact with your water.

This is why Green Irene only uses safe, non-leaching, and durable 304 grade stainless steel. You’ll also hear 304 grade stainless steel called 18/8 stainless steel as it has a minimum of 18% chromium and 8% nickel content. 304 grade steel is highly corrosion resistant, inert, sanitary, and easy to clean. Due to its safe properties you can find 304 grade steel being used throughout the food industry worldwide.

Stainless steel naturally contains no BPA. As for the plastic tops on Green Irene’s bottles, only BPA-free polypropylene #5 (PP#5) plastic is used. The bottles and caps are all 100% BPA free!

One attribute people love about Green Irene bottles are the soft non-slip black mats on the bottom of our bottles. The material used is a safe non-toxic EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate). EVA is a common material that is recyclable and used in many consumer products including baby teething toys.

The colored bottles have a durable water based acrylic paint. The paint is tested on a regular basis by a US Consumer Product Safety Commission accredited laboratory to ensure that it adheres to stringent children product safety rules. In fact, we have results from quarterly independent testing of the bottle’s paint, stainless steel, and plastic tops.

Green Irene’s water bottles are available through your local Eco-Consultant. Your Eco-Consultant can also provide you with more information about these products and other ways of assuring water purity for you and your family.

Green Irene Premium 10-Stage Filter: How does it compare with other national brands?

A home water filtration system can be an important part of making sure your family’s water is as pure as can be. With all of the different water filter options out there, it can be tough to know which one is the best value for you while doing the most to protect your family’s health.

Did you know that:

Many national water filter brands like Brita, PUR, Seagul, and Ever Pure don’t remove vinyl chloride (a dangerous cancer-causing toxin). Green Irene’s Premium 10-Stage Water Filter does, along with a variety of other contaminants like PCBs, herbicides, pesticides, and toxic heavy metals.

Green Irene’s filter also removes more chlorine (99.99%) than other leading brands like Brita, PUR, Seagul, Ever Pure, Amway, Culligan, and GE. Only healthy minerals like potassium and magnesium are left in.

Most brands cost you anywhere from 16 to 48 cents for every gallon of filtered water.  Green Irene’s premium filtration system costs only 8 cents per filtered gallon. With a great feature that allows normal water to flow through with the flip of a switch, it also doesn’t waste the filter as you do the dishes, giving each cartridge even more value.

For more great information on how the Green Irene Premium 10-Stage Filter stacks up against other national brands, contact your local Eco-Consultant! Also, check out this copy of the comparison report that has all of the facts:

http://www.greenirene.com/images/waterfilter_comparison.pdf

Now Available – 25oz Filtered Stainless Steel Water Bottle

We’re happy to announce the addition of a stainless steel water bottle with a built-in filter! This new item is in-stock and ready to ship.

25oz Filtered Stainless Steel Water Bottle This revolutionary product combines an eco-friendly stainless steel water bottle with a very effective built-in carbon filter to improve taste and remove impurities. It will save you almost $400 per filter cartridge over bottled water and eliminate all that plastic waste to boot!

Rosamaria Caballero
The Original Green Irene Eco-Consultant

Is Your Water Filter Getting All The Bad Stuff Out? A Green Irene’s Story

In New Jersey American Water’s 2008 report for Somerset County and surrounding counties, drinking water met all standards. Unlike in 2007 (see my previous blog post) there was no detectable tetrachloroethylene and only 0.6 ppb of tricholoroethylene. NJAW reported levels of manganese and sodium higher than the MCL, though this is not generally considered a health issue, as our bodies need these nutrients. NJAW also sampled 51 homes. In one home, they found excessive levels of lead, and in one they found excessive copper (both from plumbing in the home).

After reading the 2007 water quality report, I was concerned. I ordered a water testing kit online. I sent in water samples and got my water analysis report within a couple of weeks. The test detected acetone in my water, at a level of .08 mg/L. There is no national standard for the amount of acetone allowed in drinking water, so NJAW does not have to report it. Low levels of chloroform and bromodichloromethane were also detected, but these were at acceptable levels. The test also detected acceptable levels of minerals, and determined that we have hard water (which I already knew).

Trichloroethylene, tetracholorethylene, and acetone are VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Given all of these questions about the quality of my water, I decided that I needed to upgrade my water filter to make sure that it removes all VOCs! Note that our local hardware stores do not carry good VOC filters. The only VOC filter I found locally was at Home Depot, and it was expensive and only worked for 60 gallons of water! I found my VOC filter by looking on my water filter system for the brand of the system, then searching the internet to find the model number for their VOC filter, then searching for that filter. A good option was Green Irene’s sink-top water filter, which filters out VOCs plus many other harmful chemicals.

Sue Dorward, Authorized Green Irene Eco-Consultant

Bridgewater, NJ

http://www.greenirene.com/SueBridgewater

sue.bridgewater@greenirene.com

Is Your Water Filter Getting all the Bad Stuff Out? A Green Irene’s Story (Part I)

In its latest water quality report, New Jersey American Water states that water from my area (Somerset and five surrounding counties..Somerset, Union, Hunterdon, Morris, Mercer, and Middlesex counties) meets all standards except for the following:

- Tetrachloroethylene (discharged from factories and dry cleaners):  the highest allowable level is 1 part per billion (ppb), and the actual level found was 1.9 ppb;

- Trichloroethylene (discharged from metal degreasing sites and other factories): the highest allowable level is 1 ppb, and the actual level found was 1.9 ppb.

The report notes that “some people who drink water containing tetrachloroethylene and tricholorethylene in excess of MCL [maximum contaminant level] over many years could have problems with their liver, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.”

The EPA’s water quality website says that if these contaminants are found at levels of 5 ppb or above, that the water company “must notify the public via newspapers, radio, TV and other means. Additional actions, such as providing alternative drinking water supplies, may be required to prevent serious risks to public health.” Needless to say, I was concerned!

We have a water filter in my home, but I had no idea if it filtered out these chemicals. So I called the EPA safe water hotline number listed on my water quality report, and they pointed me to the National Sanitation Foundation International’s Water Filter Database. This is a great tool to find out about all water filters and what they filter out (You can also call NSF International at 1-800-673-8010).

It turns out that my water filter does not filter out these chemicals! They are Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and my filter does not filter any VOCs. Fortunately, Green Irene’s 10-stage water filter does filter out these chemicals. I’m buying a new filter! If it weren’t for Green Irene, I never would have known to do this. Thank you Green Irene!

Note: Click here or on the picture above to purchase the 10-stage water filter from the catalog.

Sue Dorward, Authorized Green Irene Eco-Consultant

Bridgewater, NJ

http://www.greenirene.com/SueBridgewater

sue.bridgewater@greenirene.com