It’s hard to imagine that back in the early 2000s you couldn’t buy a reusable, stainless steel water bottle in the United States.

Plastic was pretty much your only option. When we sold the first BPA-free stainless steel bottles in 2004, we figured a few folks might be into them. Today, reusable water bottles and coffee mugs are everywhere. Klean Kanteen has become an international brand and has inspired dozens of other companies to make reusable stainless steel products. We don’t mind. When it comes to kicking plastic, we’re all in this together.

Along the way, we’ve remained a family and employee-owned company. Turning down investor dollars isn’t always easy, but the freedom to stay true to our principles is worth it. If we want to share our profits with organizations we believe in, we can (and do). If we want to spend a few years developing a ground-breaking nontoxic, chip-resistant powder coat finish, we can (and did).

From the very beginning, Klean Kanteens have been built with love— the love of adventure, the love of conserving wild places and the love of replacing single-use plastic.

Being a family- and employee-owned company is uniquely Klean and allows us to stay nimble and responsive as we use our business as a force for good. If we see a way to lessen our environmental footprint or make a positive impact on our staff, we take action.

This unique structure pairs complete operational freedom and autonomy with a commitment to a stringent set of internationally recognized standards for social and environmental transparency, accountability and performance across our areas of influence—people, planet, and product.