Over 10,000 Sippy Cups & Bottles For Toddlers Recalled Due To Lead Poisoning Hazard

On Nov. 23, Green Sprouts, a company that makes eco-friendly childcare products from flatware to swimwear to toys, issued a voluntary recall of some of its stainless steel sippy cup and bottles due to possible lead poisoning hazard. No deaths, illness, or injuries have been reported as a result of the issue, which affects approximately 10,500 units worldwide.

The concern stems from a small solder dot at the base of the product, which creates a vacuum seal between the internal and external layers of the cups. While this dot is normally not exposed, either to one’s skin or the liquid within the container, if the base is removed through misuse or accident, the dot becomes accessible. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) has only received seven reports of the base becoming detached from the product. In a statement on the company’s website, Green Sprouts describes the risk to consumer health and safety as “negligible,” but that they are “undertaking the costs and challenges of this recall voluntarily because our customers’ health and safety must come first.”

The products affected by the recall are 6 ounce and 8 ounce Green Sprouts stainless steel cups and bottles sold between January 2020 and September 2020 with tracking numbers:

• 29218V06985
• 35719V06985
• 33020V06985

These numbers can be located on the bottom of the base, and correspond to the company’s Sprout Ware Sippy Cup made from Plants and Stainless Steel (6oz); Sprout Ware Sip & Straw Cup made from Plants and Stainless Steel (6oz); and Sprout Ware Straw Bottle made from Plants and Stainless Steel (8oz) models. These recalled units were sold in aqua, pink, green, and navy colors and have one of three lid options: a silicone sippy spout with a colored plastic lid, collar and handle; a silicone sippy spout and a straw spout with colored plastic lid, collar and handle; or a silicone straw with plastic screw-on flip cap. They were sold nationwide at BuyBuyBaby and Whole Foods and online at Amazon.com, Babyhaven.com, Drugstore.com, and Target.com in addition to the Green Sprouts website.

Green Sprouts is contacting all known purchasers of the recalled products. Since, however, finding all customers is challenging if not impossible, if you have an affected cup you can contact the company via a form on their website to receive a refund in the form of store credit. You can also get in touch by phone at 800-876-1574 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or email the company directly at Green Sprouts at ContactUs@GreenSprouts.com. Green Sprouts encourages families to continue using the the plant-plastic and silicone lid and spout with other Green Sprouts cups and bottles, but to throw away the stainless steel components. Moving forward, they have vowed to remedy the issue at the heart of the recall.

“As we approach the redesign of these products, whose benefits for keeping drinks cold safely have made them a popular choice for parents, we will ensure that lead is not used as a soldering material, no matter whether it would be accessible.”