As a family and employee-owned company, we’ve never been afraid to go all in on big ideas, but this might be our boldest move yet. We've made the change to certified 90% post-consumer recycled 18/8 stainless steel across 95% of our product line!
95% Of Our Products Are Made With Recycled Steel.
"So What !?" You May Ask...
A valid question. Manufacturing and shipping our products takes energy and emits greenhouse gasses. End of story. Our goal is to reduce that impact. In 2022 alone, our switch to certified 90% post-consumer recycled steel resulted in a 35% drop in our raw material emissions when compared to conventional steel. This is equivalent to:
3,653,057 miles driven by an average gas powered vehicle
23,562 tree seedlings grown for ten years
180 homes' energy use in one year
160,347 gallons of gasoline consumed
Imagine...
Imagine the impact if every other bottle brand in the market made the same change to recycled steel. The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions would be huge! This is why we choose to do things the hard way and blaze trail.
So What do You Mean by "Certified" ?
We believe transparency with our customers is the only way to roll, so we work with an independent third party called Intertek to certify that our steel is 90% post-consumer recycled. Keep an eye out for their certification seal along with our “90% Recycled Steel” icon on the packaging of all Klean Kanteen products made with certified recycled steel.
FAQ
What Klean products are not made with certified recycled stainless steel?
All products except TKPro will be made with 90% certified recycled stainless steel. Klean Kanteen sourced ample materials for TKPro prior to the inception of its recycled steel project. The intent is to use existing sourced materials and transition to making the TKPro with certified recycled steel down the road.
Why isn’t Klean Kanteen making the move to using 100% certified recycled stainless steel?
To reach desired 18/8 stainless steel properties, 10% of pure materials must be present; this 10% of virgin steel maintains hardness, density, and thickness. Note: while Klean Kanteen uses 10% virgin steel, that 10% is virgin scrap from other production projects. Yet another way Klean Kanteen provides zero waste solutions.
Define the breakdown and source of stainless steel materials used in Klean Kanteen products.
Klean Kanteen products are made with 90% post-consumer certified recycled stainless steel which comprises of reclaimed industrial stainless steel equipment, and domestic/ daily life products (i.e., kitchen appliances, tableware, etc.). The remaining 10% is “pure” or pre-consumer stainless steel inclusive of scraps from the production of other products.
Is recycled steel safe to drink out of?
Yes. All Klean Kanteen products are made from high quality, 18/8, food-grade stainless steel and undergo the same rigorous regulatory testing.
Is Klean Kanteen the first in the industry to use certified recycled stainless steel?
To our knowledge, Klean Kanteen is the first reusable water bottle and food solutions brand to use 90% post-consumer certified recycled steel. Many other companies use recycled steel (RE: Swedish 304) that contains lower levels of post-consumer content and are not third party certified. However, Klean Kanteen is the first to guarantee a specific percentage of certified post-consumer recycled content in its products.
Who is Intertek?
Intertek is a global leader in assurance, testing, inspection and certification services. All of our recycled steel is Intertek certified. FAQ’s pertaining to their services can be found here.
