We handpicked BPA-free, medical-grade Tritan® plastic for use in our Clearly Filtered plastic water bottles and water pitcher because of its proven safety and durability. Read on to find out what makes Tritan the only plastic you’ll ever find in our products.

Tritan plastic is the safest plastic in the world. Not only is Tritan BPA-free, but it is also free from BPS (bisphenol S) and ALL other bisphenols. Certain Tritan plastics are also considered medical-grade, meaning they are approved for use in medical devices.

Bisphenols, including BPA and BPS, are the building blocks of some plastics, such as polycarbonate. Bisphenols are also known as endocrine disruptors. They can mimic certain hormones of the body and interfere with the processes those hormones regulate.

BPA and bisphenol-free Tritan plastic is safe, giving you peace of mind you won’t get with ordinary BPA-free plastics. That’s because many products that you see marked as BPA-free contain other bisphenols to replace BPA. Early studies show that these BPA replacements may be just as dangerous as BPA (learn more about BPA here).

Tritan is not only BPA-free, but it is not manufactured with bisphenol-S or any other bisphenol compounds. In addition, third-party labs have tested Tritan and the results have demonstrated that it is free of estrogenic and androgenic activity.

Estrogen and testosterone are hormones that are essential to many important biological processes in animals and humans, including sexual differentiation and development. Studies have suggested that certain synthetic and naturally occurring chemicals can interfere with these biological processes and lead to adverse effects.     

Endocrine disruptors are defined as chemicals that can interfere with the human endocrine system and ultimately lead to adverse health effects. Among endocrine disruptors, chemicals that mimic estrogen and testosterone in living animals are said to exhibit estrogenic activity, also known as EA, and androgenic activity, frequently known as AA.

Yes, Tritan plastic has been rigorously tested by numerous third-party labs to be free from all bisphenols, not to mention free of any estrogenic and androgenic activity. These tests included:

• Quantitative structure activity relationships (QSAR).1 Computer modeling of monomers to assess each substance's molecular structure and its ability to bind to human estrogen and androgen (testosterone) receptors in a manner that could lead to their activation.

• Receptor transactivation assays.2,3 The estrogenic activity and androgenic activity of both the monomers and concentrated extracts of Tritan also were evaluated in vitro using both yeast and mammalian cell assays performed by two separate labs. These tests evaluate a substance's ability to bind to a hormone receptor and, induce gene expression. Extracts were generated using U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Union (EU) (specifically, Commission Regulation No. 10/2011) recommendations for food contact migration testing. Additional extracts were derived following a dishwasher simulation environment (10 days, 70ºC in Cascade® solution).

• Competitive binding assays.2 Despite the fact that neither the QSAR nor transactivation studies showed any evidence of binding or gene expression by estrogenic or androgenic pathways, a second tier of tests based on competitive binding assays was conducted. These tests can confirm a substance's ability to specifically bind to a specific hormone receptor and can be used to calculate the relative binding affinity.

• Uterotrophic assay.4  This in vivo test is considered more definitive for assessing a substance's potential to elicit estrogenic responses in living biological systems. This test is also part of the Tier I Endocrine Disruption Screening Program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

• Hershberger assay.5 This in vivo test is considered more definitive for assessing a substance's potential to elicit androgenic responses in living biological systems. This test is also part of the Tier I Endocrine Disruption Screening Program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.The uniformly negative responses seen in these complementary third-party studies overwhelmingly demonstrate that Tritan is free of estrogenic activity and androgenic activity.

Tritan plastic has also been approved for use in food contact applications all over the world by the following regulatory agencies:

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration

• Health Canada 

• European Food Safety Authority and European Commission 

• China's Ministry of Health 

• Japan Hygienic Olefin and Styrene Plastics Association 

• NSF International

If there’s one thing we know, it’s that Tritan plastic offers lightweight durability like nothing else out there. This is another big reason why we use it in our products. When you think about what a water bottle goes through in its lifetime—being dropped, tossed into this bag and that, and washed over and over in hot water—it needs to be durable and able to stand the test of time. Tritan does just that.

Tritan is also shatter-resistant, so while it has the gloss and sparkle of glass, it won’t break or crack like glass. And, unlike stainless steel, it won’t dent or ding when it takes a tumble.

Yes! Tritan plastic is dishwasher safe, and it won’t warp in the hot water. It also won’t lose its luster wash after wash. If you’re using one of our filtered products made with Tritan plastic, just keep in mind that the filter unit can only be washed by hand. Why don't we allow it to go in the dishwasher? Because we use other forms of plastic for the pitcher handle and use sonic welding to combine components of the products together and those elements will not hold up in the dishwasher.

If a company goes the extra mile to use Tritan plastic, there’s a good chance they will make it known to you. And if they don’t, buyer beware. Be sure to do your research to make sure what you are getting is Tritan. With Clearly Filtered, you don’t have to worry. All of our plastic products are made with Tritan because only the best is good enough for us.

We use Tritan plastic for all of our plastic water filtration products:

• Filtered Water Bottle – a great option when you want to have clean and safe tap water on the go

• Filtered Water Pitcher – provides a half-gallon of clean and safe water at a time, with an average 4-month filter life

We actually do! We know plastic isn’t for everyone. That’s why we also make a 20-ounce insulated stainless steel water bottle with Affinity® Filtration Technology, so you can still have clean and safe tap water on the go even if Tritan plastic isn’t your thing. Learn more about the Clearly Filtered Stainless Steel Water Bottle here.

In the spirit of having something for everyone, we also offer a 20-ounce borosilicate glass water bottle with Affinity Filtration Technology. Read more about the Clearly Filtered Glass Water Bottle.