Nalgene
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
US maker of reusable plastic water bottles.
There's no proof Nalgene pays more than the legal minimum, which in the United States is below a living wage.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 3 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 3 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsJudged on where its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in the United States, China and Vietnam.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listMakes its products in its own factories
- Met: High-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNone recorded in a major share of its range
Red flags 1
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Nalgene's own disclosure: it makes its products in its own factories. Its list covers only part of its range. The rest is shown as where homewares and appliances are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| PolandUsual for the industry | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- No high-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) are recorded in a major share of its range, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good.
- Owns or runs its own production
- Modern slavery statement
Research notes Nearly all Nalgene bottles are made at the company's own plant in Rochester, New York (US), with materials sourced in the US, so most of the people who make them work under US labour law. Its owner, Thermo Fisher, publishes a modern slavery statement covering its Australian subsidiaries; it reports supplier audits with no modern slavery indicators in 2025, but no living wage commitment. Nalgene publishes no separate supply chain details, and no labour abuses linked to its products have been reported.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Thermo Fisher Scientific's 2025 modern slavery statement covers its 15 Australian subsidiaries and reports no modern slavery indicators found in 2025 supplier audits. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Not assessed in Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion or Electronics reports, which do not cover drink bottle makers. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Thermo Fisher Scientific 2025 Modern Slavery Statement (Australian register) · search the archive · Covers 15 Australian subsidiaries; no modern slavery indicators in 2025 audits; wages and hours 16% of findings
- Nalgene: Born from Science, Made in America (Alliance for American Manufacturing, 2021) · search the archive · Almost all products made in Rochester, NY, with materials from Tennessee; Thermo Fisher subsidiary
- Nalgene Outdoor converts manufacturing to 50% certified recycled material (Business Wire, 2023) · search the archive · Bottles made in Rochester, NY; part of Thermo Fisher Scientific
- Nalgene Outdoor launches Fresh Flow straw bottle (Business Wire, May 2026) · search the archive · Nalgene Outdoor, based in Rochester, NY, is part of Thermo Fisher Scientific; new bottle sourced and made in the US
- Nalgene Wide Mouth Collapsible Canteen 3L (Backpacking Light Australia) · search the archive · Nalgene sold by an Australian outdoor shop with a Melbourne store
Company details
- Owned by
- Thermo Fisher Scientific
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Nalgene ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/nalgene, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded cookware and tableware
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Nalgene.