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 The outdoor store REI has pulled all bottles containing a potentially harmful but common chemical found in plastic off its shelves, and Gander Mountain is phasing them out as well.
REI's decision was made on the heels of an announcement by the bottle company Nalgene to replace its "outdoor" line of containers with alternatives free of bisphenol A.
According to Scott Livingston, REI's assistant store manager in Brookfield, the store removed the products from shelves nearly two weeks ago.
He said the decision had come from REI's corporate level, but looking at trends in his own store, it made perfect sense.
He said customers have increasingly been choosing bottles that don't contain bisphenol A, such as Sigg aluminum bottles and Klean Kanteen stainless steel bottles.
 Bisphenol A is a key ingredient in polycarbonate. The chemical is associated with miscarriage, prostate problems and cancers in laboratory animals.
In the last couple of weeks, the U.S. and Canada have called for concern regarding the plastic chemical. The U.S. National Toxicology Program said the chemical posed some concern for fetuses, infants and children, and the Canadian government is considering a ban on all baby products containing bisphenol A.
David Ewald, a spokesman for Gander Mountain, said the company still has some plastic bottles containing bisphenol A on its store shelves, but the company will not order any more.
Other outdoor retailers in the area also are changing their practice.
Although Laacke & Joy's stores still have the products on their shelves, management is having discussions about whether or not to remove them, said Beth Kyte, marketing manager.Wheel and Sprocket, a specialty bicycle store, was ahead of the curve. It stocks CamelBak products, which do not contain bisphenol A. According to Jesse Kuester, the manager of Wheel and Sprocket in Fox Point, the store was carrying only non-bisphenol A bottles long before the government reports were released.
Cabela's officials could not be reached for comment.
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