Klean Kanteen

PRODUCTION LOCATIONS

• Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
• Yongkang, Zhejiang Province, China
• Pinghu, Zhejiang Province, China

WORKING CONDITIONS & WAGES

All of Klean Kanteen’s production takes place in China. Design is carried out at the headquarters in Chico, California. Klean Kanteen explains this choice by stating that there are no qualified stainless steel bottle manufacturers in the US or Europe, and that local production would not be competitive due to steel prices and production costs.

Klean Kanteen’s production partners are certified to several international standards. For quality management, they hold ISO 9001 and ISO/TS 16949, and for environmental management, ISO 14001. To ensure fairer working conditions, the ETI Base Code and the ILO International Labour Standards serve as binding frameworks. 
The relationship with suppliers is explicitly long-term and built on partnership. Klean Kanteen describes its production partners as part of its own family and works with a strict Supplier Code of Conduct, which structures both the selection of new partners and the ongoing collaboration. The brand carries out regular factory visits, commissions third-party social and environmental assessments, and continuously tests materials and product safety.

As a member of 1% for the Planet, the brand commits to donating 1% of its total sales to environmental organisations. To date, this has resulted in more than $3.7 million being distributed to non-profit organisations working in four areas: plastic pollution, nature conservation, environmental awareness and safe consumer products. International partners include 5 Gyres, Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, American Rivers and Outdoor Afro. At a local level, Klean Kanteen supports organisations in Belgium, the Netherlands and France such as River Clean Up, Klimaatzaak, Natuurpunt, Natagora, Surfrider Foundation and Protect Our Winters. In addition, there is the annual ​“Klean Kanteen Gives Back” campaign, in which smaller local initiatives can submit projects and the public votes on which ones receive financial support.

MATERIALS

• 18/8 stainless steel (90% post-consumer recycled content)
• Silicone
• Polypropylene PP#5
• Klean Coat® powder coating
• Bamboo

PACKAGING

• For its packaging materials, Klean Kanteen prefers FSC-certified paper and paper with a high post-consumer recycled content. 
• The brand favours belly bands over individual packaging boxes, as the latter have a larger environmental footprint.

WATER USE & CHEMICALS

Klean Kanteen actively records water use in both production and packaging manufacturing. Water use per unit in production fell in 2019, which the brand attributes to a more water-efficient process for the new TKWide bottle compared with its predecessor. Water use in packaging manufacturing is also actively measured and tracked. In addition, Klean Kanteen recommends that customers clean their bottles in the dishwasher, as this has been shown to use less water than washing by hand. When washing by hand, the brand recommends using cold water and turning off the tap while scrubbing.

All product materials are assessed using the GreenScreen® for Safer Chemicals protocol. The brand has obtained full chemical compositions for 93% of its product materials and has assessed more than 100 chemicals with GreenScreen tools. 75% of the product chemistry used achieves Benchmark 3 or better. Klean Kanteen also maintains its own Restricted Substances List (RSL) and checks all materials against the strictest applicable regulatory standards. According to the brand, all products are verifiably free from BPA, lead, phthalates and other harmful substances. 
The Klean Coat® powder coating is explicitly free from PFAS and PFOA.

More than 75% of the products can be fully taken apart into individual single-material components, which makes recycling at the end of their life considerably easier. The stainless steel bottle body can be taken to most metal recyclers, while caps and lids require a specialist recycling centre. The brand actively informs its customers about this.

There is no information indicating that used bottles are taken back, collected or sent to a specific recycling or upcycling process.

Since 2022, Klean Kanteen has used certified 18/8 stainless steel with 90% post-consumer recycled content, verified by Intertek. Stainless steel remains fully recyclable regardless of its recycled origin.

More than 80% of the products made have publicly available repair options for components that may wear out before the end of the bottle’s life, such as silicone O‑rings. The brand offers repair kits as well as care and use videos, so that customers can replace small parts rather than the whole bottle. In addition, the caps and lids of different product lines are compatible with one another, so customers can make their existing bottle more versatile by buying a new lid, without having to buy a new bottle.

DISTANCE & COMPLEXITY OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN

• Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
• Yongkang, Zhejiang Province, China
• Pinghu, Zhejiang Province, China
• Klean Kanteen is headquartered in Chico, California, USA.

TRANSPORT

• Products are primarily shipped from the factories in China to the headquarters in Chico, California, by cargo ship across the Pacific.
• Air freight is used occasionally. Klean Kanteen reports that although air freight accounts for only 1 – 2% of total transport weight, it has at times been responsible for 25 – 35% of total transport emissions. The brand has actively worked to reduce its use of air freight and in 2019 managed to cut it by 62% compared with the previous year.
• Klean Kanteen ships with local postal services.

No animal-derived materials are used.

PRODUCT DESIGN

The range includes water bottles and cups for adults, as well as a children’s line with dedicated kids’ bottles and cups. There are also insulated bottles, food containers and various accessories such as interchangeable caps, repair kits and other extras. Klean Kanteen positions itself as a functional everyday brand with a wide range of bottle and container sizes, designed to suit different needs.

PRODUCT TRANSPARENCY

On its product pages, Klean Kanteen provides information on the material used, along with a specific reference to the associated emissions reduction. The functional features of each product are also described. However, the specific country of production or the exact factory where each product was made is not stated, so full traceability of an individual purchase is not possible.

PROCESS TRANSPARENCY

The brand publishes a Brand Impact Report containing detailed data on greenhouse gas emissions, water use, material use, packaging, transport and manufacturing. Information on supplier locations, the standards applied and the company’s philosophy is also publicly available.

As a certified B Corp, Klean Kanteen is required to disclose its performance against B Lab’s standards on its public B Corp profile and to undergo an independent reassessment every three years.