November 10, 2026
BPA-free means a product was made without bisphenol A, an industrial chemical used in some plastics and resins. That is all the label says. It does not name the material that replaced BPA, and it does not make a product plastic-free. This guide explains the meaning in plain words. It also shows how to read the label, how to check a product, and what to look for when you buy branded drink bottles for your business.
TL;DR
- BPA stands for bisphenol A. A BPA-free label means this one chemical was not used in the product.
- Australia’s food regulator says BPA exposure from food does not present a significant health and safety issue at current exposure levels.
- The label does not cover other bisphenols or other replacement chemicals. Research has found that some BPA-free plastics still released chemicals with estrogenic activity.
- Recycling code 7 does not tell you whether a plastic contains BPA. Ask the supplier for the material and its details.
- For branded drinkware, choose a clear material name and a supplier who can tell you what the product is made from.
Table of Contents
- What BPA stands for and where it is used
- What “BPA-free” means on a label
- Why people look for BPA-free products
- Is BPA-free safe? What Australian and international bodies say
- What BPA-free does not tell you
- How to check whether a plastic item is BPA-free
- The rules in Australia
- Choosing BPA-free drinkware for your business
- Our view on BPA-free promotional drinkware
- Order branded BPA-free bottles with us
- FAQ
- Sources
What BPA stands for and where it is used
BPA stands for bisphenol A. Mayo Clinic explains that it is an industrial chemical used since the 1950s to make polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. These materials turn up in food and drink containers, can linings and some consumer goods.
Polycarbonate is hard, clear and tough. That made it popular for water bottles, baby bottles and food storage. Epoxy resin is often used as a thin lining inside metal cans, so the food does not touch the metal.
So when you see “BPA” in a conversation about plastic, it usually means one of two things:
- a hard, clear polycarbonate bottle or container
- a resin coating inside a can or lid
What “BPA-free” means on a label
A BPA-free label is a claim about one ingredient. The maker is saying BPA was not used to make the product. It is not a safety rating. It is not a food-contact certificate. It does not describe the whole material.
The word “free” is strong. The ACCC’s guide to making environmental claims says consumers are likely to read “free” as 100% free. If a product does contain some of the ingredient, the ACCC says a different claim should be used. For a business buying branded products, this matters. A supplier who uses the label should be able to stand behind it.
In practice, a BPA-free product is usually made from a plastic that never needed BPA. Common examples are polypropylene (PP), PET and copolyesters. Some drink bottles are made from stainless steel or glass, which do not use BPA at all.
Why people look for BPA-free products
BPA is linked to public concern because it can act like a hormone in laboratory studies. That concern led to action in Australia. On 30 June 2010 the government announced that major retailers would voluntarily phase out polycarbonate baby bottles containing BPA from 1 July 2010. The 24th Australian Total Diet Study records that decision.
Since then, many buyers have treated “BPA-free” as a basic expectation for anything that holds food or drink. For businesses, that means staff, clients and event guests may look for the words on a bottle you give them.
Is BPA-free safe? What Australian and international bodies say
The short answer: BPA-free is a reasonable thing to look for. The wider science on BPA is still debated, and the official positions differ in how cautious they are.
What Australia’s food regulator says
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has stated that the weight of evidence indicates BPA exposure from food does not present a significant human health and safety issue at current exposure levels in Australia. It concurs with an international tolerable daily intake of 0.05 mg per kg of body weight per day.
FSANZ’s testing supports this. In its Total Diet Study, 81 foods and drinks were tested for 30 packaging chemicals. BPA was found in 8 of 17 composite foods. The highest level was 0.074 mg/kg, which is below the EU migration limit of 0.6 mg/kg. Theoretical maximum daily exposure was 5% of the EFSA temporary limit.
A urine study of Australian children aged 0 to 15 years reported mean exposure of 70 nanograms per kg of body weight per day. That is 1.8% of the same temporary limit.
Why you may see stricter numbers
In April 2023 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a re-evaluation. It concluded the tolerable daily intake should fall to 0.2 nanograms per kg of body weight per day. FSANZ describes this as 20,000 times lower than the 2015 value. FSANZ also says it has reservations about EFSA’s approach. The same page notes that Germany’s BfR has proposed a value 1,000 times higher than EFSA’s.
This is why you will see strong and mild views online. The regulators agree on the topic. They differ on the number. If you want to lower BPA intake, Germany’s BfR says the best step is eating freshly cooked food. It adds that the way food is preserved may matter more than the type of food in a can.
If you are choosing for a specific group, such as infants or pregnant staff or clients, speak to a doctor or the FSANZ guidance. That is the right place for personal medical advice.
What BPA-free does not tell you
This is the part many short answers skip. “BPA-free” names one chemical. It says nothing about the rest of the recipe.
Other bisphenols
Germany’s BfR explains that products labelled BPA-free may contain other bisphenols such as bisphenol S, some of which are less well studied. A label such as “bisphenol-free” must not contain any bisphenols. Harvard’s Petrie-Flom Center calls the swap “regrettable substitution”: a product can truthfully say BPA-free while using a replacement that has had less testing.
The US EPA reported that some BPA alternatives were more potent than BPA in activating the estrogen receptor in its testing.
Other chemicals in the plastic
A 2014 peer-reviewed study tested many BPA-free products. It found that many replacement plastics leached chemicals with estrogenic activity. The authors’ point was that BPA-free did not mean free of that activity. The same study found some materials, such as glycol-modified PET and cyclic olefin polymer, did not release detectable estrogenic chemicals.
The lesson is not that plastic is bad. The lesson is that material choice and supplier information matter more than one word on a label.
Not plastic-free
BPA-free does not mean the product has no plastic. It means one ingredient was left out. If you want a plastic-free option, look at stainless steel, glass or other non-plastic drinkware instead.
How to check whether a plastic item is BPA-free
You cannot confirm BPA-free status by looking. These steps help you narrow it down.
- Read the label and the product page. Look for “BPA free” together with the material name, such as PP or Tritan. A named material tells you more than a general claim.
- Be careful with recycling codes. Some guides say code 3 or 7 may contain BPA. Germany’s BfR notes that polycarbonate has no code of its own and sits under code 7 (other) with many plastics that contain no BPA. So code 7 alone does not show BPA is present. It does not show it is absent either.
- Ask the supplier. Australia’s environment department says the best way to find out whether a plastic contains chemicals of concern is to request information from the manufacturer or retailer. The same page lists BPA as a chemical of concern in plastics.
- Check the intended use. A bottle sold for drinks should be made for drinks. Ask whether the item is intended for food and drink contact.
- Keep the paperwork. If you order for an event or a staff program, keep the product page and the supplier’s written confirmation with the order.
A note on the opaque-plastic tip you may see online: it is a rough guide at best. Colour tells you little about the chemistry, so use the steps above instead.
The rules in Australia
Responsibility for plastic food-contact items in Australia is shared. According to FSANZ’s BPA paper, FSANZ regulates food sold in plastic containers, NICNAS assessed the safety of industrial chemicals, and the ACCC is responsible for the safety of the plastic articles themselves.
Food packaging must meet Standard 3.2.2 of the Food Standards Code. It requires packaging to be fit for its intended use and not likely to cause food contamination. One industry summary notes that the standard does not set specific substance limits. It also notes that the older AS 2070 standard for food-contact plastics was withdrawn and not replaced.
For buyers, the ACCC’s consumer guarantee rules apply too. Goods must be of acceptable quality: safe, durable, free from defects and able to do what they are commonly used for. Promotional material is considered when judging this. So the claims on a product page matter, and they should be accurate.
Choosing BPA-free drinkware for your business
Branded bottles are among the most useful promotional items. People use them daily, so your logo gets seen often. A BPA-free bottle also suits clients and staff who care about what their drink touches.
Here is how to choose well.
| What to consider | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Material | A named material, such as PP, Tritan or stainless steel |
| Claim | “BPA free” shown on the product page |
| Use | Made for drinks, with a lid that fits well |
| Audience | Sport and events need light, tough bottles. Offices may prefer a larger bottle |
| Branding | Enough print area for your logo at a size people can read |
| Documentation | Supplier information you can keep on file |
We list BPA-free options in our range. Examples include a PP drink bottle marked BPA free, a Tritan drink bottle marked BPA free and the Barrie Tritan Sport Bottle 700ml. You can compare more on our promotional drink bottles page.
If you want to avoid plastic altogether, our reusable coffee cups and glassware are worth a look. For more ideas on stretching a small budget, see our promotional product ideas for SMEs.
Our view on BPA-free promotional drinkware
We have supplied branded merchandise to Australian businesses for over 25 years. Drinkware is one of the items buyers ask about most, and the BPA-free question comes up often.
Our view is simple. A BPA-free label is a good starting point. It tells you BPA was not used. The next step is knowing the material. That is why we name the material on our product pages where we can, such as PP and Tritan, so you can see what you are choosing.
We source factory-direct through a global supply chain. This is designed to give you consistent quality and competitive prices. If you need more detail on a product, our team can help. Get in touch and tell us how the bottle will be used. We will point you to the right option.
We also offer free artwork design, so your logo is set up properly for print. If you find a lower price on the same product, our Price Beat Guarantee is there for you.
PromoShop
Order branded BPA-free bottles with us
Need bottles for a team, a trade show or a client gift? We can help you choose a style, set up your logo and brand the order. Free artwork design is included, and Express Service is available when your date is close.
Browse our full promotional drinkware range or visit the PromoShop home page to start a quote.
FAQ
What does BPA-free mean?
BPA-free means the product was made without bisphenol A. BPA is a chemical used to make some plastics and resins. The label covers that one chemical only. It does not describe other ingredients in the product.
Is BPA-free safe?
FSANZ says BPA exposure from food does not present a significant health and safety issue at current exposure levels in Australia. Other chemicals may be used in place of BPA, and some have been less studied. For a specific health concern, speak to your doctor.
Does BPA-free mean bisphenol-free?
No. A BPA-free product can still contain another bisphenol, such as bisphenol S. A label that says “bisphenol-free” is a stronger claim, because it must not contain any bisphenols. Ask your supplier which claim they can support.
How can I tell if a plastic bottle is BPA-free?
Check the product page or label for a BPA-free claim and a named material. Recycling code 7 is not a reliable guide, as it covers many plastics. The most dependable step is to ask the manufacturer or retailer for the details.
Is BPA-free the same as plastic-free?
No. BPA-free plastic is still plastic. If you want to avoid plastic, choose stainless steel or glass drinkware.
Sources
- What is BPA? Should I be worried about it? (Mayo Clinic)
- Making environmental claims: a guide for business (ACCC)
- 24th Australian Total Diet Study Phase 2 (FSANZ)
- FSANZ activities in relation to bisphenol A
- P1034 Risk Profile, executive summary (FSANZ)
- Bisphenol A (BPA) (FSANZ)
- Bisphenol A in everyday products: FAQ (BfR)
- BPA-free does not mean bisphenol-free (Petrie-Flom Center)
- Are BPA substitutes any safer than BPA? (US EPA)
- Estrogenic chemicals often leach from BPA-free plastic products (PMC)
- Chemicals of concern in plastics (DCCEEW)
- Packaging regulations in Australia (ComplianceGate)
- Consumer guarantees: a guide for consumers (ACCC)