Question by lacy

Although Brita filters are made from plastic, I was not able to find a #7 on my container at home. So we called the company to find out what type of plastic their pitchers are made from. A company representative tells us that there are 2 main parts to the pitchers. The clear bottom part which holds the filtered water is made from 100% styrene acrylonitrile and the reservoir part of the pitcher (as well as the filter canister which goes inside) is made of 100% polypropylene. Therefore, it appears that Brita filter pitchers do not contain any polycarbonate plastic and are not made from the same material as Nalgene or Avent baby bottles. That’s good news for Brita users. 
 
Plastics with a number 7 recycling triangle include a variety of different plastic types including polycarbonate plastic. Polycarbonate plastic is a polymer made from a chemical called bisphenol A (BPA). BPA is an endocrine disruptor and in animal studies has been associated with reproductive abnormalities including lower sperm counts, hormonal changes, enlarged prostate glands and pre-cancerous changes in the breast and prostate. We don’t have very much data on whether BPA could be causing the same problem in humans but over 90% of the general population carries residues of BPA in their bodies. 
 
It’s likely that beverages stored in polycarbonate plastic contain some amount of BPA, especially when they contain acidic substances or when they are stored at warm temperatures or for prolonged periods of time. Containers that are older and have become discolored or cracked also are likely to leach more BPA. A better option for storing beverages is to use an unlined stainless steel container or to use another type of plastic container, such as polypropylene (used in the Brita), which doesn’t contain BPA.  
 
The average person is probably getting more BPA by eating canned food and drinking canned soda than from drinking out of a polycarbonate beverage container. BPA is used to line the inside of metal food and soda cans and leaches from the can liner into the food. Acidic foods like tomato sauces and soda absorb more BPA. To reduce your exposure, drink less canned soda and eat less canned food, especially those that are tomato-based. These days, I buy tomato sauce in glass jars, not in cans!

Do you know what type of plastic lines the lids on the jar?

I saw Canada started in motion a ban of BPA last week. I sent a question to Brita about it and received the following written response. I am relieved because our whole family has been using Brita for many years, including regularly mixing powdered baby formula from it. 
 
"Thank you for contacting us about Brita Pour Through System - Classic/Standard Pitcher. We always appreciate hearing from our consumers. The pitcher lids and filter housing is made of Polypropylene plastic. The reservoir and pitchers are 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 Latex or Neoprene). Our products do not contain any bisphenol A and are all tested by the NSF (National Science Foundation) for safety and wetted contact. Unfortunately the pitcher materials are not recyclable therefore do not have a plastic number. Please contact us at any time if you have additional questions."

Thanks for providing this reassuring information about Brita pitchers! A clarification: the reply Ryan received from Brita identified NSF as the National Science Foundation, which is the wrong NSF in this case. It’s the nonprofit NSF International (formerly the National Sanitation Foundation) that tests water filtration equipment (www.nsf.org). Manufacturers voluntarily seek certification that a product meets the standards claimed (stamped inside the lid of my Brita pitcher). It’s a good sign when a product is NSF certified because the company chose to pay for testing and certification. Just don’t assume that the product is certified for anything other than the specific standard indicated or that a product without such certification is necessarily inferior. 
 
Kristine Bradof 
Center for Science and Environmental Outreach 
Michigan Technological University

I found it interesting that Brita water pitchers are bpa-free, yet the water bottle that they are giving away when you purchase a pack of filters has the number 7 clear as day on the bottom. Glad that at least their pitchers are bpa-free.