How to Dispose of a Pur Water Filter
With the numerous campaigns about how much better water filters are for the environment as compared to buying bottled water, you may wonder about the water filters. While some water filter companies have implemented a program to recycle or reuse their filters, PUR Filtration Systems, which is owned by Procter & Gamble, does not have one in place as of February 2009. However, according to Joe E. Heimlich in an article in the "New York Times," disposing of the filters is much less harmful to the environment than plastic bottles for bottled water. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Remove water filter from your pitcher, faucet-mount or refrigerator.
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Write down the product filter number and whether it is a two-stage or three-stage filter (for faucet-mounted filters). This is essential if you are replacing a Pur filter in your KitchenAide and Whirlpool refrigerators because there are several types. If you cannot find the model number, refer to the PUR article "Compare Water Filters" listed in additional Resources.
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Place water filter in trash bag.
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Check with PUR Water Filter Systems (see additional Resources) to see if they have begun a recycling program. Brita began a recycling program for its filters in January 2009. As of February 2009, PUR did not have one in place. However, according to Green by Design, PUR is attempting to create a reusable module.
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Do not attempt to recycle the water filter by cutting it open with a hand saw. The carbon inside the filter now contains contaminants it removed from your water supply. It is better to toss the entire device away then attempt to recycle the plastic.
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Resources
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Comments
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vegandan
May 10, 2010
Bottled water is horrible for the environment! Plastic created from oil Bottles shipped to bottler (same site?) uses fossil fuels Water bottles distributed around the country are heavy and use much fossil fuel (Driving around the country with a truck full of WATER?? It comes out of your tap for ~free!) Many many plastic bottles are not recycled Recycling uses a lot of energy gathering purifying shipping to a company who will use it. Let's use tap water or tap with a filter--AND find a way to reuse these filters. -
vegandan
May 10, 2010
How to reuse? = throw it in the trash? You don't give a good explanation for sending this to the landfill. There has to be a way to a)cut open and reuse the charcoal as a water filter or b) at least cut open and recycle the plastic--and dump the charcoal perhaps just in a corner of the yard (not in the compost).
