the scoop on plastics, including your Brita pitcher

For those of you interested in avoiding certain plastics, especially those containing Bisphenol-A (hormone disruptor found in certain plastics, including polycarbonate water bottles such as Nalgene as well as many brands of baby bottles), I've come across some alternatives which you may find helpful.

I've already posted about my glass baby bottles, and I recently bought a Sigg water bottle to replace my once-trusted Nalgene. I've ordered a Klean Kanteen sippy cup for Phillip (yes, I am fully aware of how horrible 'k's are when used to replace 'c's, especially when the 'c's are just as matchy and I almost didn't buy the bottle for that reason. I can't stand Kozy Shack, Krispy Kreme, etc. I completely and wholeheartedly support Bella Dia's post here.) Moving along... I started to wonder what type of plastic my Brita water pitcher is made of, and couldn't find any markings on the pitcher itself. I looked online and couldn't find an answer, either. So I sent them an e-mail and they promptly responded with the following good news:

"Dear Mrs. Graham,

Thank you for contacting us about Brita Pour Through System - Slim Pitcher . We always appreciate hearing from our consumers.

The pitcher lids and filter housing are made from Polypropylene plastic. The reservoirs and pitchers are both made either from NAS (a Styrene based plastic) or SAN (Styrene Acrylonitrile). The soft-touch handles are made from an elastomer called Santoprene (not to be confused with Neoprene or Latex). The lids for the chrome pitcher only are made from ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene). All were tested by NSF International for safety and wetted contact. There is no bisphenol a in the pitchers.

Again, thank you for contacting us.

Sincerely, Candy Thoma, Consumer Response Representative Consumer Services"

I also found this article, which includes a little printable reminder chart of which plastics are better left alone. Merry BPA-free Christmas!