Can this food grade plastic be repaired?
August 30, 2020 10:44 PM Subscribe
I recently bought a 3L nalgene cantene.
On the first backpacking trip it sprang a leak - near the top - where the hard plastic lid base meets the flexible bag.
I suspect it is polyethylene, but maybe polypropylene? It's a water jug, so adhesive needs to be food grade. I can't find a recycling symbol on it anywhere.
Which adhesive? Seems like cyanoacrylate would be too stiff and might dissolve.
Or maybe plastic welding? I see that for heavy agricultural water jugs. Not sure it'd work here.
Maybe a silicone adhesive? Some of those seem good safe...
I suspect it is polyethylene, but maybe polypropylene? It's a water jug, so adhesive needs to be food grade. I can't find a recycling symbol on it anywhere.
Which adhesive? Seems like cyanoacrylate would be too stiff and might dissolve.
Or maybe plastic welding? I see that for heavy agricultural water jugs. Not sure it'd work here.
Maybe a silicone adhesive? Some of those seem good safe...
Best answer: You can absolutely contact them and request a replacement. I did this when my cat knocked my 8 year old Nalgene off my nightstand, causing a hairline crack to form at the top where the lid screws on (a crack that i didn’t notice until I was on my way to work and suddenly my purse was full of water). Filling out the online form took about 3 minutes and shipping me a new one took a week, tops.
posted by janepanic at 12:48 AM on August 31, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by janepanic at 12:48 AM on August 31, 2020 [4 favorites]
Best answer: This is not repairable, but as noted, nalgene will happily send you a replacement.
posted by rockindata at 4:02 AM on August 31, 2020
posted by rockindata at 4:02 AM on August 31, 2020
Best answer: Definitely contact Nalgene, and if your concern is wasting resources by throwing out a new bottle, think about it this way: By contacting Nalgene about this problem you’re helping them identify a problem with their product manufacturing, which if they fix it, will prevent lots of waste in the future.
posted by mekily at 6:23 AM on August 31, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by mekily at 6:23 AM on August 31, 2020 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I like repairing things rather than replacing them, even if it's free.
You could try and use duct tape! Unfortunately, whatever you use will need to be flexible to match your bottle. It will also be under stress. It does seem like this is a design flaw. I've had 3-4 of those pouch-type cantenes and they have all leaked! :(
If you think that you would rather buy a durable product, I highly recommend the standard nalgene thin mouth bottles, but lately I've been using the contigo with a straw. It's lasted a long time and feels pretty robust, though I do not think it will last forever.
posted by bbqturtle at 8:57 AM on August 31, 2020
You could try and use duct tape! Unfortunately, whatever you use will need to be flexible to match your bottle. It will also be under stress. It does seem like this is a design flaw. I've had 3-4 of those pouch-type cantenes and they have all leaked! :(
If you think that you would rather buy a durable product, I highly recommend the standard nalgene thin mouth bottles, but lately I've been using the contigo with a straw. It's lasted a long time and feels pretty robust, though I do not think it will last forever.
posted by bbqturtle at 8:57 AM on August 31, 2020
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posted by Iris Gambol at 12:12 AM on August 31, 2020 [7 favorites]