Moms and families have depended on Rubbermaid storage containers for decades to help them store, organize and protect their valuables, including food and beverages. Historically, polycarbonate (which contains Bisphenol-A) was used in a small fraction of our food and beverage storage containers to provide the clarity and stain and odor resistance consumers desired.

However, we recognize consumer concerns around the BPA issue, and we have identified new materials which do not contain BPA that allow us to retain the consumer-desired stain-resistance benefits. We recently introduced new versions of our stain-resistant Premier food storage containers and Refill Reuse water bottles that are BPA-free. This version of Premier has a BPA-free stamp on the bottom of the container, differentiating it from the earlier version. This page also shows images of the new items in comparison to the original versions, as well as images of other historical products that contained BPA.

Premier (Launched March 2010) - Look for the BPA-Free logo on the bottom	Produce Saver	Easy Find Lids	Lock-Its	TakeAlongs	Lock-Its Canisters	Modular Canisters
Collapsibles	Flex & Seal	Double Airtight Seal Canisters	Stackable Canisters	Flex & Seal Canisters	Cylinder Canisters	Round Jars
Square Jars	Durable Egg Keepers	Bread Keeper	Durable Butter Dish	Butter Dish	Durable Cake Keeper	TakeAlong Chip & Dip Tray
Egg Keeper	Durables	Twist & Seal	Servin' Saver Plus	Servin' Saver	EZ Topps	Munchettes
		Basic Container	Elegan Bowls & Serving Bowls

Carafe	Stain-Resistant Premium Chug Bottle	Stain-Resistant Premium Sip Bottle	Premium Chug Bottles	Premium Sip Bottle	Premium Squirt-Top Bottles
Chug Bottles - (#5 type plastic)	Sip Bottles	Squirt-Top Bottles	MixerMate Bottles	MixerMate Pitchers	Mixing Pitchers	Classic Pitchers
Classic Pitchers	Ice Cube Tray	Ice Cube Bins	Litterless Juice Boxes	Basic Bottles	Basic Bottles	Water Dispeners
Juice Box with Sleeve	TakeAlong Bottles	Sip n' Sport	Chuggable	Elegan Cups	Cool Contours

Ice Chests / Coolers	Marine Ice Chests / Coolers	Water Coolers	Water Jugs	Blue Ice Icolator	Blue Ice Packs	Blue Ice Blankets

Consumer health and safety are Rubbermaid’s paramount concern, so we have compiled the following information to better inform our consumers about Bisphenol A (BPA).

Q: What is BPA?
A: Bisphenol A (“BIS–fen–all A”) is a chemical used by hundreds of manufacturers as a building block of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins for food surface applications.

Q: Is BPA dangerous?
A: We are aware that there have been some concerns raised recently about possible health effects, but BPA has been used safely in the manufacture of hundreds of products for decades. There have been no reports of illness connected to BPA. Use of plastics made with BPA fully complies with standards from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as well as the historically stringent regulators of public health issues in the European Union. We know the issues around BPA continue to be discussed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and we are closely following developments in this area.

Q: Is it in Rubbermaid products?
A: Only a few. Consumer demand for food storage containers that better resist stains and odors led to the inclusion of plastics that contain BPA in “Premier,” food storage. Over the years, only a small fraction of Rubbermaid-branded food storage containers and water bottles were made with plastics that contain BPA. However, we recognize consumer concerns around the BPA issue and we have identified new materials which do not contain BPA that allow us to retain the consumer-desired stain-resistance benefits. We recently introduced new versions of our stain-resistant Premier food storage containers and Refill Reuse water bottles that are BPA-free. This version of Premier has a new decorative swirl pattern on the base as well as a BPA-free stamp on the bottom of the container so that it can be easily differentiated from the earlier version. The “Learn about BPA link” (found on the Rubbermaid.com home page, and above) also shows images of the new items in comparison to the original versions, as well as images of other historical products that contained BPA.

Q: Why did Rubbermaid use it?
A: Consumer demand for food storage containers that better resist stains and odors led to the inclusion of plastics that contain BPA in “Premier,”. We used plastics made with BPA to achieve these performance enhancements because it has been used safely in the manufacture of hundreds of products for years.

Q: Which products are made from plastics that contain BPA?
A: Because we believe strongly in helping consumers make informed choices, we clearly distinguish which products include BPA and we offer dozens of BPA-free food storage products with similar functionality. The “Learn about BPA link” (found on the top of all Rubbermaid.com pages) also shows images of the new items in comparison to the original versions, as well as images of other historical products that contained BPA.

Q: Where else can consumers find reliable information on BPA?
A: Consumers can visit the following web sites for more information:
• European Food Safety Authority study - www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press_room/press_release/pr_bpa.html
• American Chemistry Council - www.bisphenol-a.org
• Environmental Protection Agency - www.epa.gov/endocrine/about.html
• American Council on Science and Health - www.acsh.org/search/home_result.asp

Q: Which government and regulatory agencies have reviewed polycarbonate?
A: Many government and regulatory agencies, including those listed below, have conducted comprehensive testing and review of polycarbonate (which contains BPA) and determined that it poses no health risk to humans.
• The Environmental Protection Agency (USA)
• The Food and Drug Administration (USA)
• The European Commission Scientific Committee on Food
• The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment
• Japan Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare

Q: Health Canada has moved to ban the sale of baby bottles containing BPA in Canada. What is Rubbermaid’s stance on Health Canada’s decision?
A: Rubbermaid does not make or sell baby bottles, but there are some Rubbermaid food and beverage containers that are made from polycarbonate which do contain Bisphenol-A (BPA). The Canadian government has not questioned the safety of BPA in plastic food and beverage containers. Consumer health and safety is of paramount concern at Rubbermaid, so we will continue to monitor Health Canada’s guidance regarding BPA.

Q: What is Rubbermaid’s response to November 2008 reports by Good Housekeeping on Bisphenol A (“BIS–fen–all A”)?
A: Good Housekeeping affirmed that BPA as used in our food and beverage storage containers is safe for consumers. We are questioning the claims by Good Housekeeping that there are even trace amounts of BPA in our Easy Find Lids containers, as BPA is not found in the facility or the process used to manufacturer Easy Find Lids. In January 2009, we conducted an independent 3rd party test to further analyze the results. We sent samples of our Easy Find Lids containers, as well as the individual raw materials used to manufacture Easy Finds Lids to this 3rd party facility. They did not find any detectable BPA in any of the samples we sent them.

Q: What is Rubbermaid’s response to reports by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that high levels of Bisphenol A (“BIS–fen–all A”) can increase the odds of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and liver abnormalities?
A: We are aware of these recent reports and take the findings very seriously. Use of plastics made with BPA fully complies with standards from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as well as the historically stringent regulators of public health issues in the European Union. We know the issues around BPA continue to be discussed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and we are closely following developments in this area.