How To Dispose Of Pur Water Filters

Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Terminal Updated: Aug 25, 2021

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If y'all are using a water filter to get admission to cleaner drinking water in your home you take to replace the filter cartridge every one time in a while – how often depends on the individual model.

Now despite the fact that dwelling house water filtration is much more environmentally-friendly than buying dozens of plastic bottles every week, the used cartridges still add to the landfill. What you tin do to counter this is recycle. How? You lot are about to find out!

Contents

What to exercise with quondam water filters?
Brita & PUR
How to recycle water filters from ZeroWater?
Mavea
GE Home Appliances
Recycling refrigerator water filters
Decision

What to Exercise With Old Water Filters?

Proper Disposal – How and Where to Recycle Water Filters

Nosotros appreciate the fact that yous are concerned about the environs and want to dispose of your old water filters properly. Unfortunately, most manufacturers don't provide a recycling program at this indicate.

Notwithstanding, this doesn't hateful that your only option is to throw them in the trash. What you tin also practice is contact your local recycling center. They may accept the cartridges or give you further information on what you tin practice with them:

Contact the customer support of your filter manufacturer to find out if they offer a recycling program.
If the answer is "yep", follow their instructions. Usually the filter has to dry for a couple of days first. Then you lot can wrap it in plastic and send information technology in an appropriate container. Some manufacturers will even ship yous a pre-stamped envelope and so that you tin mail your filters for free.
If the answers is "no", ask what type of plastic was used for the filter shell (#1, #2, #3, #4 or #5). You can also bank check the trounce yourself. It volition have a number surrounded by three arrows printed on it.
Contact your local recycler to find out what plastic type(s) they have.
Recycle if possible. Otherwise throw in trash.

On a side note: Some people say that cutting open your used cartridges to dump out the filtering media earlier throwing the plastic in the recycle bin is fine. Others warn against information technology since the media likely holds high amounts of contaminants removed from your tap or well water. Cut open a filter cartridge may expose y'all to these substances. Personally, we don't consider this to exist an issue – you lot tin article of clothing gloves if y'all want – but this is upwards to y'all to decide (as long as you don't dump anything in your garden which will release all the contaminants back into the environment.

Companies that do offer a recycling plan:

Brita
Pur
ZeroWater

The Gimme five recycling program that allows you lot to drop off any #5 polypropylene plastic at your local Whole Foods Market place does Non have water filters!

Recyclers Beware!

At that place are some websites out at that place claiming that they specialize in filter recycling. However, it turns out that this is oft a scam as these companies charge a fee for their "service" on peak of the costs for aircraft. What's more than, once yous have submitted your data, it'due south likely that you lot volition get bombarded with sales leads in future.

Bottom line: Working with a legitimate recycling program sponsored by your filter manufacturer is ordinarily the way to become and ensures that all materials are existence recycled properly.

Reuse

Some people like to reuse their water filters. They will clean the cartridge – even utilize bleach – and refill the filter media if needed.

Paper Saying Reduce Reduce Recycle Repeat

Only so you know, even the well-nigh thorough cleaning procedure does non guarantee that your refurbished filter will perform like it was make-new, permit solitary exist 100% free from contaminant leftovers and germs.

If it's finally fourth dimension for yous to order a new home h2o filter, here is a collection of our favorite systems.

Brita & PUR

Both Brita and PUR accept teamed up with TerraCycle, a recycling and upcycling visitor that has committed to repurposing "not-recyclable" products into affordable innovative products, such as pouches, pencils and potting supplies (for the whole range of products click here).

If you are a Brita customer, you tin sign up to the gratis Brita Rewards program. When logged in simply make full out the form to get a free shipping label. Now you can recycle pitchers, dispensers, bottles, faucet units and whatsoever packaging in 3 easy steps:

Allow your Brita products to dry out for three days.
Collect at least 5 lbs to recycle. Place everything in a garbage liner or trash bag and pack it in a box.
Impress out your shipping characterization and postal service the box.

Are you lot a Canadian resident? Then you commencement have to create a TerraCycle account at terracycle.ca and join the Brita Recycling programme there. You can download a pre-paid shipping label from your TerraCycle business relationship.

In case you are a PUR customer, y'all have to join the PUR recycling programme (no longer available).

Then you can first collecting PUR pitchers, dispensers, faucet filtration systems, filters and packaging film. Once you have a full box, ship information technology using the free shipping label bachelor at the TerraCycle website. Once more, yous have to call back to properly dry everything before wrapping it in a plastic bag or garbage liner.

Did we mention that for each shipment you transport in you have the opportunity to earn points that you can donate to an organization of your choice or a TerraCycle product packet? That's so cool!

Want to learn more about TerraCycle?

How to Recycle Water Filters from ZeroWater?

ZeroWater provides a recycling class that you can consummate and return with your filters to:

ZeroWater Filter Recycling
c/o Delta Warehouse
1600 Delta Drive
El Paso, TX 79901

The processing takes upwards to a couple of weeks. Then y'all receive a $10 coupon to exist redeemed at zerowater.com for every ii filters that you render. The coupon is meant to assistance off-gear up aircraft expenses.

Mavea

Bad news: MAVEA is no longer accepting filters for recycling.

GE Home Appliances

Every bit far as we can tell, GE has stopped their refrigerator filter recycling programme as well. Although several third-party sources talk about it online, we couldn't observe any information that ostend that the program is still active.

Recycling Refrigerator Water Filters

If your refrigerator uses a h2o filter it, too, has to exist replaced on a regular basis to guarantee the highest h2o quality and foreclose bacteria from growing inside the cartridge.

Dorsum in 2014, Whirlpool launched their Refresh & Recycle refrigerator water filter recycling program. It offered people to recycle any brand fridge h2o filter for little coin. The bad news is that the programme has ended.

What can you lot practise instead? Follow the same process to recycle any other type of water filter:

Contact your filter manufacturer. Ask if they offer a recycling plan.
If yes, follow the instructions.
If no, ask what type of plastic was used for the filter crush. You tin can as well look at the vanquish itself.
Contact your local recycler to notice out what type they accept.
Recycle if possible. Otherwise throw in trash.

Conclusion

The ecological footprint of bottled water – recycled or not – is many times larger than that of filtered water. And then even if your filter manufacturer does not take a recycling plan, yous are doing the environment a huge favor. And if you haven't purchased a filter system just nevertheless or are planning to replace your old one, consider choosing a make that makes recycling a priority.

If y'all have whatsoever questions well-nigh how to recycle h2o filters delight don't hesitate to leave a comment below!

About the Writer Factor Fitzgerald

Cistron Fitzgerald has been with BOS since the very kickoff. She is head of content creation and has fully immersed herself into the home water treatment manufacture simply to get an expert herself. Outside of BOS, Factor loves reading books on philosophy & social problems, making music, and hiking.
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Gene