Highlighting the dangers of BPA chemical compounds in 19L water jugs in Malta

February 18, 2025

On the 19th December 2024 the EU Commission banned the use of BPA ( Bisphenol A) in any products coming into contact with food or dink and in this article we address the concerns of consumers over the use of BPA in the reusable 19L water jugs that many people are receiving in the water delivery in Malta.

What is BPA ( Bisphenol A)?

BPA ( Bisphenol A) is a chemical compound used in the production of Polycarbonate which is a type of plastic. Polycarbonate is the type of plastic that is used in the production of the majority of the 19L water delivery jugs in Malta which are all used by the major suppliers in this sector.

There have been many years of research into the harmful effects of BPA ( Bisphenol A) which has previously been banned in the use of baby's bottles and teats.. The research available overwhelmingly concludes that BPA ( Bisphenol A) is an estrogen and endocrine disrupter.

This piece of research from 2012 concluded that 0.2 to 0.3 mg/L of BPA ( Bisphenol A) migrates from bottles into the water at room temperature.

What is Polycarbonate plastic?

Polycarbonate is a thermoplastic polymer, meaning is a group of chemicals arranged in a compound and used because its a tough transparent material that is also scratch resistant.

This is why Polycarbonate is the material choice for 19L water delivery jugs in Malta and in used by all the main suppliers in this area.

How does the EU Commission ban on BPA ( Bisphenol A) in Malta affect water delivery suppliers?

Now that the EU has banned the use of BPA ( Bisphenol A) in polycarbonate water bottles what does this mean for the water delivery suppliers in Malta?

Common with most legislative changes is a transition period and this is the case for the use of polycarbonate water bottles in Malta and the transition is being done as follows:

Those manufactured before the new regulation and compliant with any old rules, but non-compliant with the new rules, can be placed on the market for the first time until July 20, 2026.
These articles can remain on the market until January 20, 2029, at the latest.

In summary

New Water Jugs used in water delivery in Malta containing BPA ( Bisphenol A) can be used until July 2026 and any existing containers can remain in use until January 2029

What are Malta water delivery suppliers doing to safeguard their customers

Malta water delivery suppliers have already started to replace Polycarbonate 19L jugs with 19L jugs made of Tritan but this transition will take time.

Tritan is a polyester compound which is BPA free, it is also free from Endocrine disrupters and makes a great material for water jugs and reusable water bottles.

How to test if your 19L water jugs are BPA ( Bisphenol A) free.

You can easily see if your water jugs are made from Polycarbonate by looking at the bottom of the bottle and confirming if the bottle is made of Polycarbonate by seeing the recycling symbol with PC.

If your bottles are marked as Tritan they will be BPA free.

How to avoid leaching of BPA ( Bisphenol A) from polycarbonate water jugs in Malta

The best way to avoid BPA ( Bisphenol A) leaching into your drinking water is to avoid any reusable polycarbonate water jugs in Malta and find an alternative source of drinking water.

From the research on BPA ( Bisphenol A) and its harmful effects on human healthy that led to an EU wide ban in December 2024, it is now clear that avoiding water delivery in reusable plastic jugs is a must for your household.

The alternative is to drink filtered tap water and here at TAPP water we have point of use water filters that fit to your kitchen mixer and filter 100+ contaminants from your drinking water leaving it tasting great and full of healthy minerals.