Bindle recalls popular water bottles on Instagram over lead poisoning risk

Bindle, a popular water bottle brand on Instagram, has recalled its vacuum flasks after Consumer Reports found they posed a risk of lead poisoning.

Bindle issued a voluntary recall of its dual-chamber water bottles, acknowledging that the dry storage container contained a spot of solder at the bottom that may contain excessive amounts of lead.

“This potentially poses a risk of exposure to lead when unpackaged food is placed in the dry storage compartment,” the company said.

All Bindle bottle sizes and colors are affected. Bindle is urging consumers to stop using the bottles’ dry storage compartment effective immediately and to register to receive a free repair kit.

In its testing of the product, Consumer Reports found that the Bindle bottle could expose users to “extremely high” levels of lead. The advocacy group also said some bottles contained bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical known to cause fertility problems and some types of cancer. Bindle markets the product as BPA-free.

Bindle calls his water pitcher a “Sip and Stash” bottle, with a top compartment that holds a liquid and a bottom that’s suitable for storing snacks, keys, or other personal items.

Consumer Reports said it found lead on the bottle’s “seal point,” a small, round piece of metal at the bottom of the bottle in the lower storage compartment. The part is about 10% lead and contains lead levels about 1,100 times higher than what is generally considered safe, according to the publication, noting that anything that comes into contact with the point there is a risk of lead contamination.

Consumer Reports is urging the public to stop using Bindle products immediately. It has also asked the Federal Commission on Consumer Product Safety to investigate.

Introduced in 2017, Bindle’s bottles feature two compartments – one for liquids and one for storing snacks or keys. kickstarters

Following the report, Bindle issued a consumer safety alert acknowledging a “potential lead problem” in its products.

“Recent testing has shown that this solder bump contains lead,” the company said in a statement on its website. “While we believe the small area of ​​lead poses a negligible risk to the health and safety of users, we take this very seriously and are working on steps to ensure we resolve this issue as quickly as possible.”

The company claims it is able to retrofit existing products to eliminate the risk of lead exposure. Bindle also offers full refunds on all products to customers who request it.

Still, Bindle claims the liquid compartment of each bottle is “completely safe to use and drink from.”

“The health and well-being of our customers remains our top priority,” Bindle co-founder Houston Max said in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch. He added that the company “is in the process of rolling out a solution that would help address any remaining concerns.”

FDA proposes limits for lead in baby food 00:35

Child health advocate and activist Tamara Rubin, who runs a small consumer product safety business and blog called Lead Safe Mama, first warned Consumer Reports of the potential health hazard. In January, she urged consumers to immediately stop using Bindle bottles after she claimed to have found “significant lead contamination” in the products’ lower storage chamber.

At the time, she sent a letter to the company, urging its owners to alert consumers to the possible presence of lead in its bottles and to stop selling it.

Founded in 2017 and raising more than $40,000 in a Kickstarter campaign, Bindle received a major boost the following year when its products made it onto Oprah’s “Favorite Things” list.

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