Our Story

Recent news has raised questions about the presence of the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) in reusable aluminum bottles. Klean Kanteens® are made of stainless steel and have always been BPA-free. Read our response.

Before anybody else was making stainless steel water bottles for personal hydration, before the health and environmental issues linked to plastic use were widely known, we were cobbling together the first Klean Kanteen® prototype from things we bought at the local hardware store here in Chico, California.

In 2004 we released the first Klean Kanteen® onto the market because we wanted to give people a better option than plastic and lined aluminum bottles: a safe, healthy, lightweight, reusable bottle free of Bisphenol A (BPA) and other toxin substances that's easy to clean and keeps drinks fresh and delicious no matter how many times you refill it.

Our original bottle, the Klean Kanteen® Classic, was simple in design and engineered for function in every way, built to change the way people drink and think. In those early days, we shared Klean Kanteens® with people we met at music festivals, environmental fairs, outdoor recreation events and other sorts of gatherings. Over and over people told us how much they loved their Klean Kanteens®.

In 2007 and 2008 mainstream media started reporting on the dangers of BPA. Word spread and many consumers searching for a healthy, safe, earth-friendly alternative to plastic and lined aluminum bottles turned to Klean Kanteen®. Our phones rang off the hook as we scrambled to fill all the orders.

About a year later, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch made the national news and the environmental devastation caused by plastic pollution worked its way into the collective consciousness. Nationwide, even worldwide, we are seeing a massive shift away from single-use plastic bottles as more people choose a refillable option, often a Klean Kanteen®. To see changes of this magnitude in such a short time is inspiring and reinforces our belief that small changes can make a huge difference.

As we strive to encourage and support consumers in making sustainable and healthy choices, we continue to work towards those same goals within our company. Since releasing our first bottle onto the market in 2004 we've taken significant steps to lower our environmental footprint. All our packaging, from the hangtags on the bottles to the boxes and other materials we use to ship our products, is either recycled or made from materials certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Our in-store displays are also FSC-certified and are finished with non-toxic, water-based stains.

In 2009 we began offsetting the energy footprint of our U.S.-based facilities and shipping, and retroactively offset our energy use back to the beginning of 2008. Meanwhile, we continue to maintain a high level of oversight at our facilities in China to ensure our factories meet Klean Kanteen's strong environmental and fair labor standards. We'll be announcing some other exciting initiatives soon, as we continue to implement new sustainable business practices.

In addition to adopting business policies that support environmental and fair labor practices, we partner with likeminded nonprofits and environmental organizations working to educate the public about health and environmental issues. In 2008, Klean Kanteen® received the Ocean Heroes Award from a collective of environmental organizations including the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Ocean Conservancy, Environment California, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Heal the Bay and Surfrider Foundation for our efforts to protect our oceans by reducing plastic pollution.

We also became a member of 1% For The Planet in 2008, and donate at least 1% of our annual sales to nonprofits working to protect and promote the health of our amazing planet. Please take a minute to read a bit more about our partners and friends.

"And who is this 'we' anyway?" you might ask. We are fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, children, and friends. We are a small, family-owned and -operated company in northern California with more than 30 years of history and an enduring commitment to product and service excellence. We treat our customers like good neighbors and our partners like dear friends. No shareholder meetings. No corporate headquarters. Our goal is simple: to provide Klean Kanteen® customers affordable, safe, healthy, high quality products and accessories and to promote and encourage health, sustainability and environmental awareness.

Every time you refill your Klean Kanteen®, you're making a positive choice for your own health and for the health of our planet. What you put into a Klean Kanteen® is exactly what comes out. Plus you prevent another plastic bottle from going into a landfill, or worse, into the ocean. Over a week, a month, or a year, that really adds up.