In a Nutshell:
- Tritan is a type of hard plastic found in products like Nalgene water bottles and Vitamix blenders. It’s manufactured by a company called Eastman.
- Eastman says its Tritan plastic is not only free from BPA and all other bisphenols (such as BPS), but is also completely “free of estrogenic activity and androgenic activity,” which means the plastic does not leach anything that has estrogenic or androgenic effects. (These are two types of hormone disruption.)
- Whether or not Tritan is truly “non-toxic” and free of all endocrine disruptors is controversial and we still need more unbiased testing to find out more.
- While Tritan is most likely safer than other kinds of plastics, there are still steps you can take to use Tritan plastic products in a mindful way in order to reduce potential exposure to endocrine disruptors. (Tips are below!)
Sometimes plastic can’t be avoided. Most blenders and food processors are made out of plastic. Sometimes plastic products like water bottles and food storage containers are better for traveling or taking to school. Many water filters use plastic, too—especially countertop filters used by renters.
But not all kinds of plastic are created equal. Although they’re all created using fossil fuels and synthetic chemicals, some types of plastic are more toxic than others. In recent years, consumers have been pressuring brands to take toxic chemicals such as phthalates and BPA out of their plastic products, so manufacturers have been coming up with various “BPA-free” alternatives.
Tritan™ plastic is one of those alternatives.
Used by brands like Vitamix and Nalgene, Tritan is a type of durable plastic that’s apparently free from BPA as well as other types of estrogen-mimicking chemicals. But as we’ve seen in the past, “BPA-free” does not always mean “non-toxic.” In fact, many “BPA-free” plastics are not only just as bad as the ones containing BPA, but actually even worse.
So, what’s the deal with Tritan plastic? Is it toxic? Is it better than other BPA-free plastics? Like many other things in the world of low-tox living, the answer to this question is not a black and white one. But we’re going to give you the lowdown so you’re as informed as possible.
Table of Contents
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First: A Quick Primer on Bisphenols & Endocrine Disruptors
In order to understand the nuance of the “Is Tritan plastic safe?” question, you need to be familiar with a few terms:
- Endocrine disrupting chemicals, or EDCs, are an entire group of chemicals that have the ability to negatively impact proper hormone functioning in the body. Since hormones effect so many things, the downstream health impacts of EDCs are wide-ranging, from infertility to cancer and more. The endocrine (hormone) system is very sensitive, so even small amounts of EDCs can have impacts.
- Bisphenols are a class of chemicals that include things like BPA (which you’ve probably heard of before!) along with similar chemicals such as BPS and BPF. These chemicals are often added to plastics in order to make them harder. BPA has been widely studied and is a known endocrine disruptor. BPS hasn’t been researched quite as widely just yet, but the early research says it’s just as bad (if not worse, actually) than BPA.
- Estrogenic/androgenic activity refers to the two types of hormones that EDCs most commonly affect—the female and male sex hormones. If a synthetic chemical produces any “estrogenic activity” or “androgenic activity,” that means it is disrupting the natural functioning of the female or male hormonal systems. Synthetic estrogens and androgens are not the only types of EDCs; there are other types of hormones that EDCs can impact as well.
Okay, now that you know what kind of chemicals we’re talking about here, let’s talk about Tritan…
What Kind of Plastic is Tritan?
Tritan is a copolyester plastic that’s manufactured exclusively by a company called Eastman. It’s very similar to other polycarbonate plastics (it’s very hard, durable, and impact-resistant), but it’s made without any BPA, BPS, or other bisphenols.
Tritan falls under the plastic resin code #7, which means “other.” There are lots of different kinds of plastic that are #7, including polycarbonate (the kind of plastic that most often contains BPA and other bisphenols), PLA (a bioplastic), ABS (which is used for 3D-printing), and PMMA (acrylic). So unfortunately, you won’t be able to tell much about whether or not a certain product contains BPA or any other endocrine disruptors just by looking at the number on it.
Products That Use Tritan Plastic
There’s a good chance you’ve used Tritan plastic before and you didn’t even know it. Here are a few of the products that have utilized Tritan plastic in their products:
- Vitamix and Ninja blenders
- Nalgene and CamelBak water bottles
- Certain water filters like AquaTru and Clearly Filtered
- Certain food storage containers such as INKA
- Other brands like Thermos, EvenFlo, Cuisinart, Tupperware, and Rubbermaid have used Tritan plastic in various products over the years.
So, Is Tritan Plastic Safe?
Eastman says that its Tritan plastic is not only completely free from BPA, BPS, and ALL other bisphenols but that it is also “free of estrogenic activity and androgenic activity.” This means there is nothing in the plastic that leaches any estrogen- or androgen-mimicking chemicals that may mess with the body’s natural hormone systems.
That’s good news, right!? Well, kinda…
There are two main issues with with these claims:
1. The data is messy and incomplete.
To be blunt, the data verifying Eastman’s claims is kind of a hot mess. This article will give you a deep dive into the issue, but here’s the summary:
In 2011, some researchers published a paper which said that (among a bunch of other plastics they tested), Tritan DID indeed leach synthetic estrogens.
But the problem is that the researchers who published this paper owned a pair of companies that sold BPA-free plastics of their own. Needless to say, this was a huge conflict of interest.
Eastman sued and the two parties got into a legal battle, with both parties acting shady throughout the process. (Although Eastman has also done their own tests, it appears that they haven’t always followed the best research practices.) Eastman ultimately won the suit, which meant they could be allowed to continue marketing Tritan as “free of estrogenic activity and androgenic activity.”
As far as I can tell, the research showing that Tritan does in fact leach estrogenic chemicals has never been validated or replicated again.
2. Other endocrine disruptors aren’t considered.
The other issue is that the claims made by Eastman only take two kinds of hormones into account. And although estrogens and androgens may perhaps be some of the most impactful and well-studied when it comes to endocrine disrupting chemicals, they aren’t the only hormones that can be affected by EDCs.
So while it’s certainly may be a good thing when Eastman says Tritan is “free of estrogenic activity and androgenic activity” (if indeed that is true, of course), it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s free from all chemicals that can potentially disrupt proper hormone function.
Moral of the Story: We Need More (Unbiased) Info!
Although it’s very likely that Tritan is safer than other types of plastic, we can’t say with 100% certainty that’s it’s entirely safe without more data. We need unbiased researchers without any conflicts of interest to test Tritan (and lots of other plastics!) using well-built studies, and then replicate those studies.
Sooo… What Do You Do?
As mentioned before, Tritan is most likely safer than a lot of other kinds of plastic. For instances when you can’t avoid plastic, Tritan is probably one of the best ones to choose.
But until we know more about Tritan, it’s still good practice to follow some general “rules” to reduce potential leaching and exposure to any mystery EDCs. These guidelines are good to follow when using any kind of plastic:
- Avoid heat, as heat increases leaching. Don’t put them in the microwave. Don’t leave them in the sun or hot car (especially if there is food or drink in them). Hand wash them instead of putting them in the dishwasher when you can. When mixing hot foods or drinks such as soup, try using a stainless steel immersion blender instead of a plastic blender.
- Like heat, abrasion can also speed up the breakdown of the material and lead to more chemical leaching. So try not to use plastic appliances to grind really hard items (like nuts, etc.). When you can, use a stainless steel grinder like this one instead.
- Be mindful about plastic use in general. Just because Tritan is bisphenol-free and probably safer than the rest doesn’t mean we should necessarily start filling our homes with plastic everything. (Side note: we haven’t even addressed the environmental impact of Tritan. Just like other plastics, it’s still a petroleum product that’s not biodegradable at the end of it’s life.)
- Using glass, stainless steel, wood, and silicone products when possible is almost always a safer option than any kind of plastic product.
- Those who might consider prioritizing plastic avoidance even more are people who are pregnant, trying to conceive, and kids. This is because estrogenic chemicals have been found to be especially harmful when people are exposed in utero or as young children. In utero exposure can lead to health effects even decades later.
- Keep in mind that while consumer pressure is extremely powerful, it needs to be paired with governmental regulation. So, consider how you may get involved by calling your representatives and telling them you want more EDC testing and regulations, joining a non-profit organization, and/or voting for representatives who believe in holding companies accountable for the dangerous chemicals in their products.
- Lastly, always remember: just do the best you can! In the society we live in, it’s impossible to completely avoid environmental toxicants. Do what you can, and try not to stress too much about the things that are outside of your control.
More FAQs About Tritan Plastic
Is Tritan plastic microwave safe?
Technically, Eastman says their plastic is microwave-safe. However, we do not recommend putting it in the microwave. If this plastic does turn out to contain any mystery EDCs, they’re more likely to leach out from the plastic and into your food or drink when exposed to heat.
Is Tritan plastic dishwasher safe?
Even though Eastman says Tritan is dishwasher safe, we still recommend keeping it out of the heat when possible, in order to reduce chemical leaching.
(However, avoiding the dishwasher isn’t as high of a priority as avoiding the microwave since the product isn’t holding the food or drink you’re about to consume.)
Is Tritan glass or plastic?
Tritan is plastic. However, they do make “unbreakable” wine and drinking glasses out of Tritan plastic. These are meant to be a lightweight and shatter-proof alternative to glass for places like the pool. However, you could just use stainless steel ones (like from YETI, HydroFlask, or Target) or silicone instead, which are even better than plastic!
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653521008250
https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2021/04/uc-researchers-find-transient-bpa-in-what-are-considered-bpa-free-water-bottles.html
The mystery around Tritan continues~ These researchers find that dishwashing with a dishwasher alone was the way to remove the transient BPA from the tritan plastic that they tested.
Interesting – thank you for sharing! I think it’s usually a good idea to wash pretty much everything you buy before you use it—whether it’s a water bottle, new clothes, etc.
most stainless steel has nickel in it which has been shown to leach into food (at least with stainless steel pots & pans) (& isn’t a good thing to get into your body). I’d think twice before saying that stainless steel is definitely better than Tritan.
Thanks Jack! It’s definitely a valid concern, and we’ve addressed the stainless steel/nickel issue in a few other places on the site (cookware, etc). I don’t necessarily disagree that it can be a tough call to say that one is definitely better than the other, especially considering the fact that we don’t really have ALL the info about Tritan…
Thank you for this helpful informative post! I’m looking to get Vitamix which uses tritan plastic. I willl try to save up for the stainless steel pitcher. I appreciate the information on how we can request change from our representatives. I also appreciate your detailed response to another readers’ comment about Clearly Filtered as I have that also. Thanks!!
From Clearly Filtered website – I’d love to know what your researchers think about this ~ when you’ve had a chance to check it out. Thank You!
“Accredited universities and independent third-party labs tested Tritan, and the results overwhelmingly demonstrate that it is safe and, in separate studies, free of bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol S (BPS). Tritan plastic also is free of estrogenic activity (EA) and androgenic activity (AA).”
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. (there is no footnote for this #5)
The uniformly negative responses seen in these complementary third-party studies overwhelmingly demonstrate that Tritan is free of estrogenic activity and androgenic activity.
1 Conducted by Dr. William Welsh, Department of Pharmacology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway
2 Conducted by CeeTox Inc., Kalamazoo, Michigan
3 Conducted by the Center for Environmental Biotechnology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
4 Conducted by WIL Research Laboratories, LLC, Ashland, Ohio
Love to hear what you think, when you have an opinion!
Thank you
Pat Sullivan
Austin TX
Hi Pat,
Thanks for your interest! There are three main things to note about this info from Clearly Filtered:
1. The info you reference here is taken directly (copy and pasted) from Eastman’s website. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but just worth noting that it seems like Clearly Filtered (and probably other brands as well) are simply taking Eastman at their word.
2. The problem is that even though it says these tests have been done by independent third parties, it turns out that this is not always the case. In the past, Eastman has claimed some of their tests have been performed by third parties when they were actually commissioned by the company. (This is unfortunately a very common practice in the world of chemical research and can make things very murky to say the least!) If you’d like to take a deeper dive into this specific issue of Eastman’s testing, check out this article: https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/03/tritan-certichem-eastman-bpa-free-plastic-safe/
3. The data you referenced from Clearly Filtered only addresses estrogenic and androgenic activity, and as our article talks about, there are still other types of hormones that can be affected by synthetic chemicals as well. So even if Tritan is free from EA/AA, it doesn’t fully address all hormone disrupting chemicals.
If you use and like Clearly Filtered, I’m certainly not saying you should stop using it! In fact, I would say you SHOULD keep using it because if you’re choosing between avoiding Tritan plastic and drinking properly filtered water, I think drinking filtered water is much more important! (I personally use an AquaTru filter, which also uses Tritan.) Plus, as our article states, Tritan is most likely still much better than other types of plastic. Like so many other things in the world of environmental toxins, it’s a nuanced issue and at the end of the day, we believe people should be informed with all of the info so that they can make the best decision for themselves and their families.
I hope that helps!
I don’t know what AI or algorithm or WHAT, popped this up in my E-mail. But I’m very glad it did!