【消費情報】SIGG水壺BPA事件最新追蹤報導

我們之前陸續分享SIGG證實使用含BPA成分的相關文章，雖然引來台灣代理公司的威嚇與警告，但基於事實不容模糊的原則，經考慮之後，我們還是決定針對SIGG雙酚A(BPA)事件，繼續為所有讀者追蹤最新的發展。也非常感謝眾多熱心網友的聲援與支持，特別是Mobile01i-mega的大力幫忙。

目前SIGG在全世界許多國家所引發的消費者風暴，依舊沒有平息的跡象，雖然在今年9月初SIGG總裁Steve Wasik已經發表公開信道歉，並宣布美國加拿大的消費者可以自費交換沒有BPA的新水壺，但顯然全球消費者的怒火與不信任，並沒有因此而消減。

在強大輿論壓力下，SIGG總裁又在美東時間9月7日下午，於美國最有影響力的網路媒體Huffington Post，再次具名發表公開道歉信，標題是SIGG CEO：I'm Sorry。信中提到，他身為SIGG的總裁，他先前沒有對外公佈SIGG的舊水壺內襯含有雙酚A(BPA)成分的決定，已經犯下了錯誤。

同時，此事件所衍伸的後續發展，還有一則值得注意的新聞，就是一向以環保形象聞名的全球戶外休閒服飾用品大廠Patagonia，也在SIGG坦承舊水壺含有BPA成分後，正式宣告終止與SIGG的任何合作。


之前Patagonia曾與SIGG合作，推出印有Patagonia品牌以及宣傳該公司品牌價值的"Think Green"與"Live Simple"等系列鋁鎂合金水壺。只是這個致力推動綠色環保生活與價值的Patagonia公司，萬萬沒想到這個號稱安全環保水壺公司SIGG，竟然使用雙酚A(BPA)的成分！

Patagonia副總裁Rick Ridgeway在接受媒體專訪時說:"在2005年有研究指出BPA對人體的影響時，我們便已進行研究追蹤，並做出撤掉所有含有BPA成分水壺的決定，同時找尋BPA-free的合作廠商。當時我們非常清楚地詢問SIGG，他們的水壺與內襯裡是否含有任何BPA，而SIGG非常明確地回答說在SIGG水壺裡沒有任何BPA..."。

可想而知，當SIGG證實舊水壺使用BPA成分時，這對Patagonia的商譽衝擊有多大了。而Patagonia總公司還非常有氣魄地宣布，他們現在接受消費者可以退還任何在Patagonia門市所購買的SIGG水壺，直接讓消費者拿SIGG水壺全額退費，比起SIGG拖拖拉拉自費交換，Patagonia實在是乾脆多了。

說到退換貨，根據SIGG總裁Steve Wasik最新的道歉信，在美加的消費者現在可以選擇不必花錢郵寄舊SIGG水壺，而可直接拿舊水壺在SIGG經銷地點交換新水壺。可見SIGG總裁每一次的道歉，以及每次提供給消費者的換貨條件，都像是被一點一滴擠出來似的，如果輿論與消費者不大聲嚷囔，似乎就很難得到進一步回應與權益。

但稍微值得肯定的是，Steve Wasik承諾將儘可能把SIGG水壺的所有製造成分都透明公開，並將贊助關於BPA化學成分的相關研究。至於他會不會一直道歉下去呢？就拭目以待吧。

至於台灣SIGG廣大消費者的權益，我們在相關的討論裡有看到網友說代理商"願意"受理交換新水壺的事情，詳情我們並不清楚，這裡也沒有任何跟代理商聯繫的管道。不過我們十分樂見台灣SIGG的消費者能夠挺身而出，為自己爭取該有的權益，大家加油吧！


加拿大sigg水壺有害 http://www.ntdtv.com/xtr/b5/2009/09/04/a341521.html

後記：2009年9月10日自由時報有"瑞士水瓶免費換 限含雙酚A舊瓶"的報導，但後來不知是何種"奇怪"的原因，自由電子報撤掉了原有的網路連結報導。2009年10月29日TVBS則有針對此事的報導：知名水壺恐致癌？　網友爆退貨遭拒！，不過這個"獨家"未免報的太晚了吧! 事情都已經發生超過兩個月了。

＊＊＊2011年最新狀況：SIGG在美國經銷商面臨破產
2009年前著名水壺品牌SIGG爆發鋁製水瓶使用含有雙酚A(BPA)成分塗層的消費事件，當時在美國造成30萬6371個SIGG水瓶遭消費者退貨！即使該廠商後來改採不含雙酚A(BPA)成分的塗層，但還是無法挽回美國消費者的信心。2011年5月，SIGG在美國的經銷商已經申請破產保護！！！原來消費者可以透過集體力量，告訴廠商他們的訴求~


回顧發展請看：
SIGG時尚"環保"水壺，證實含有雙酚A(BPA)成分

再論SIGG的雙酚A事件

SIGG總裁公開道歉，並宣布含有BPA水壺的交換計畫

資料與圖片來源：Huffington Post、SIGG CEO Apolgizes、Patagonia Terminates Relationship With SIGG Over BPA Reveal、Patagonia partnership with SIGG ixnayed after BPA controversy、Treehugger

有時間的人可以看看SIGG總裁新的道歉全文：

SIGG CEO: I'm Sorry

Steve Wasik CEO of SIGG Switzerland
Posted: September 7, 2009 02:38 PM

I am writing to apologize.

As Chief Executive Officer of SIGG, a leading maker of reusable water bottles, I made a mistake when I decided not to announce that our old bottle liner contained trace amounts of bisphenol A. I learned about the liner's content in 2006, when there was debate in the scientific community about the effects of BPA. Scientists lined up on both sides of the issue: Some said BPA posed potential health risks, others said BPA was perfectly safe.

With the issue still very much undecided, SIGG decided to develop a BPA-free liner to eliminate consumer concern about our products. To be sure that BPA did not leach from our bottle liners, we commissioned independent scientific studies and asked the labs to rigorously test our bottles and bottles made by other companies. We urged them to put all bottles through tortuous conditions. Those tests reassured us because they showed SIGG liners leached no BPA. We posted those studies on our web site to provide consumers the information about product performance that seemed to me relevant at the time.

Today, the debate continues. Scientists are still split on the issue. But the consumer environment has changed. Because of the all the conflicting data, a growing number of people have decided to eliminate the concern from their lives by avoiding BPA. Given the situation, I recently decided that we had to tell everyone that bottles manufactured with our former liner (prior to August 2008) contained trace amounts of BPA.

We were right to make the announcement. But I was wrong to have waited this long. One of our primary goals at SIGG has been to help reduce unnecessary waste and to educate people on the environmental benefits of using a reusable bottle. With that objective in mind, SIGG has been labeled a "green" company.

Unfortunately, I am still learning to be a green CEO. When I took this position, I naively assumed that "green" meant being a steward of the environment. In 2007, SIGG became a member of 1% For The Planet and we have donated 1% of all of our sales to environmental organizations like The Sierra Club and Stop Global Warming. However, being a green company also means being held to the highest degree of corporate transparency.

Some executives learn this because they have grown up within the green movement. I have learned this by reading hundreds of emails from SIGG consumers. Some feel angry. Some feel betrayed. All feel disappointed because they were passionate advocates of our bottles.

People have written to explain why they are concerned about BPA. They have written about their personal stories, their intimate worries and their very honest anger. I have personally responded to hundreds of these notes, apologizing for my mistake, offering new bottles to make amends, realizing that my decision caused people real discomfort.

SIGG has been around for 100 years. Yet, we are still a small company with 127 employees worldwide -- about 90 of those working in our Frauenfeld Switzerland operation. SIGG is not a typical modern corporation and it doesn't have a typical relationship with its customers. People have trusted SIGG and my decision breached that trust. I wish I could turn back the clock and fully disclose the BPA content in our liners. What I can do is make sure that I personally never again compromise SIGG's good name and proud Swiss heritage.

In the next few days, we will announce the first steps in our path to full transparency. These will include some very specific things we will do to make sure we are the honest, green company that our customers expect us to be. We will:

* Post details about the contents of our bottles: the new liner, the cap, the bottle itself. And we will make the information as transparent and understandable as possible.
* Make it easy for consumers to exchange their old bottles for new, BPA-free SIGGs. You can still ship your old SIGGs to us via our voluntary exchange program. Or if you prefer to avoid shipping costs and lead time, you can make the exchange at your local SIGG retailer, most of whom are participating in the program. To make it easy, we will post on our website a list of these retailers.
* Unveil an independently managed grant program to help fund BPA and chemical research that will help eliminate confusion and concern about this issue. While we have moved away from BPA in SIGG products, it continues to be used in countless products that we all use each day. If it poses a real threat, we want to help curb its use.

When people buy "Swiss made" products, they are buying quality and peace of mind. I realize that my actions compromised SIGG's relationship with our loyal customers. I pledge to try to rebuild the hard-earned trust you have had in SIGG. I sincerely hope you will allow me to prove myself.