Hey Klean Kanteen! What’s with the plastic cap?
January 2011 Update: Good news. Klean Kanteen has developed a plastic-free cap! The new Reflect Klean Kanteen water bottle comes with a bamboo/metal cap with a silicone ring. The bamboo caps are also sold separately to fit other styles of Klean Kanteen bottles, but unfortunately, those bottles still come automatically with plastic caps.)
Friday I had the great privilege of hanging out with Ruchi, she of the Arduous Blog, who came to town for the holidays. We ate apple pie with caramel sauce and ice cream. We walked around the Castro. We chatted with the new owner of the Eco Boutique on 18th Street. We should have gone karaoke singing, as according to her current blog post it’s something Ruchi loves to do. Instead, we visited the one and only Rainbow Grocery.
Ruchi needed a new Klean Kanteen. Her old one was rudely stolen, as regular readers of her blog know, shortly before she left London to come home. And Rainbow Grocery sells them, along with bins and bins of every bulk item you could imagine and some you might not. The trouble was too much choice and no perfect solution.
All Klean Kanteens come with a plastic cap now. Just Ducky ranted about this fact back in March. If you want a stainless steel cap, you have to purchase it separately, which still leaves you with a plastic cap that you might not want.
Rainbow carries other brands of stainless steel water bottles, including one from Down To Earth distributors. This bottle comes with a stainless steel cap, but it’s packaged in a cardboard box with a plastic bag inside. The Klean Kanteen was packaging-free. When I mentioned to Ruchi that we didn’t know what kind of packaging it might have been shipped in before being placed on the shelf, she said that shopping with me was stressful.
We definitely should have gone karaoke singing.
Ruchi ended up with the Klean Kanteen and a pouty face. I told her I’d blog about the Klean Kanteen plastic cap if she would. Are you all up for a quick email campaign to Klean Kanteen right before Christmas? Here’s the contact info:
Klean Kanteen
4345 Hedstrom Way
Chico, California 95973
original@kleankanteen.com
tel (530) 345-3275
fax (530) 345-3568
And here is the message I just sent:
To: original@kleankanteen.com
Date: December 23, 2008
Hi there. As you all probably know, I’ve been promoting Klean Kanteen on my blog, Fake Plastic Fish, for quite a while. I do feel that, other than a glass jar, it’s the best option available for reusable water bottles. I’m just wondering about your switch to a polypropylene cap.
While I can understand that some customers may want the plastic cap for their own reasons, there are those of us who choose the stainless steel cap and don’t want to have to purchase it in addition to the plastic cap we didn’t want in the first place. Have you thought about offering a choice of plastic OR stainless steel (rather than plastic PLUS stainless steel?)
Many of us choose Klean Kanteen because we are trying very hard to lower our plastic consumption. Being stuck with a plastic cap we don’t want or need does not help us reach that goal.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this issue. And just to be clear, I’m not asking that you do away with the plastic caps but that you offer a real choice to those who don’t want them.
Thanks!
Beth Terry
Okay Ruchi. Your turn.
I think the stainless steel cap is itself flawed. Like what Guri said, it contains plastic, and because of this, has a number of detrimental effects. To add to the list Guri had, I’d like to add that the plastic and the metal parts separate after a while. This is a big problem, as it means that this “stainless steel” cap is more fragile than the plastic one. What would solve all the problems the now-extinct metal cap has is if the cap was made entirely out of metal (save for maybe a rubber seal to keep the bottle from leaking). Then, no water would get trapped in the cap. I think Klean Kanteen has stood for quality in the past (for a price). Why take these shortcuts that compromise this reputation?
Of course, I don’t expect Klean Kanteen to change its ways now that it’s been almost three years since the original post, but I thought I would speak my mind anyways. I tried looking for a stainless steel cap for my recently purchased klean kanteen, but after reading all the negativity, I’m thinking about getting another bottle, altogether, one made entirely out of stainless steel.
Hello- I love the Klean Kanteen Sports Top 2.0— just received the new replacement post the recall that KK did-
This top is easy to use and provides the best flow on the market in my opinion….even makes a cool sound when drinking from it!
Are you people really whining about a plastic cap vs stainless one? Hey guess what?? The stainless one contains plastic. Oh, and it rusts, leaks, and holds water, which will start to grow bacteria, and make your water taste even WORSE than the plastic cap, so……get over it. One plastic cap on every Klean Kanteen won’t kill this planet. Recycle it when you’re done. I can’t understand why you all make such a big deal from something so small?
Hi Beany. Re: stalking. Get in line. You’d just be an anonymous face lost in the crowd of paparazzi that follow me everywhere.
On the other hand, ice cream sounds awesome. Let’s hang out!