Comments

Please leave a comment and tell us what you think about this campaign. Did you write a letter? Post it here! Did you receive a response from Clorox? Let us know. Do you have ideas for how we can reach more people? We want to hear what you have to say.
 

67 comments:

Anonymous said...

Certainly for a company of its size, it makes sense they could create a recycle program. For many of us in the water industry the cost to create such a program would be prohibitive. The carbon holds contaminants from the water, so in its housing it locks up those contaminants from leaching out into the ground. Just the cost to send the plastic cartridge back to the company would have a larger carbon footprint than the recycled benefit.

If you want a superior purification system to a Brita, that will remove ALL the contaminants (not just slight reduction of a few contaminants like the Brita) then visit Pure Water Systems, Inc. Their system even gets out traces of pharmaceuticals.

Anonymous said...

I like the picture of you!

Anonymous said...

I notice that Brita have now produced a glass jug, however the filters are still plastic. My thoughts were why don't they produce a refillable glass unit. I was encoured to learn when I read through some of the articles that cartridges have now been designed to be refillable so they are easy to recycle, but why not go the whole way and consider my suggestion above. While I realise that there will probably be less profit for the company, glass does get broken so units would still need to be replaced

Anonymous said...

Guys:
You are diluting your message and wasting your efforts with this "recycle or reuse" campaign. Of course in this regressive climate which views garbage and recycling as primary, the best you will get is grinding up plastic with lots of grumbling about contamination, and eventual placement in a dump. What you need to do is to be the agents for REUSE UBER ALLES. Don't leave the decision to Clorox and the garbagemen but make the upright decision yourselves. Recycling is a waste of time, inefficient, virtually useless. The carbon itself can be regenerated by heating and in industry (huge amounts) it usually is. This is an obvious application for designing for total reuse.
Paul Palmer
www.zerowasteinstitute.org

ruchi said...

I used the letter you sent. Here is the response:

Dear [Arduous],

Since the Brita filtering mechanism that reduces heavy metals cannot be recycled, the filters themselves are not recyclable using available technology. However, we would like to point out that Brita is a much greener alternative to drinking bottled water. One pour through filter can effectively replace 300 standard bottles of water (16.9 oz). It might surprise you to learn that in 2006 Americans used about 50 billion plastic water bottles. However, plastic's recycling rate is only 23%, which means 38 billion plastic water bottles were not recycled last year.

We encourage you to join us in reducing plastic bottle waste. Please take a moment to visit www.filterforgood.com and learn how you can help reduce bottled water waste through pairing Brita water with reusable bottles.

I hope this information reassures you that the people at Brita share your concern for the environment. If you should have any other questions about the Brita water filter system, please don't hesitate to contact us again. The filters in Europe are an entirely different type of filter.

Again, thank you for contacting us.


And then this is my response to that. I admit, I got a little snarky:

In your response, you mention that the technology isn't there for cartridge recycling. This is odd to me since the technology IS available and in use by Brita in Europe. Is the United States in a technological time warp?

Thanks,
[Arduous]

Anonymous said...

Hi Arduous. That's the same form letter they sent to all the members of our group who wrote them. Thanks for following up!

Ricky Ricotta said...

In response to 'Paul Palmer's' comment (above), I want to address the issue of re-design vs. recycle, as it pertains to this effort. We have discussed this within the campaign. Our idea, at this stage, is to raise public awareness about the lack of post-production producer responsibility, in general.

This effort will, hopefully, translate into any of several positive steps-- these may include a) total re-design for re-use of the Brita products, or, b) a change in design materials allowing for a significantly better energy balance when recycled/reused.

Our use of the terms 'take-back' and 'recycle' on this website are not terminal reccomendations. Their intention is two-fold, at this point. One, they raise this initial consciousness about producer responsibility, and, two, reusing/recycling of Brita's existing designs may in fact be viable first steps as Clorox continues to assess its entire waste contribution.

It is imperative and only responsible of us to insist that a full, product lifecycle analysis be conducted down-the-road, in order to overall lower this producer’s carbon footprint.
Our idea, like others who promote energy efficiency, is to help shift corporate structure to do one of two things: 1) make significantly less of a carbon footprint within current production means, or, 2) ideally, develop 'negative-net-energy' or 'zero waste' systems for product lines.

Anonymous said...

A question: when Brita in Europe takes back the filters, what exactly do they do with them? Are they recycled or just disposed of properly, taking the burden off of local governments?

Here's the comment I left in the Brita webform this morning:

Greetings,

Our family has used Brita filters, both in pitcher and on-tap, for seven years. We enjoy the product but wish that we did not have to send the used filter to our local incinerator. I know that Clorox has begun to "green" its image by purchasing Burt's Bees and coming out with a line of green cleaners. Instituting a program to take back used Brita filters would be a strong step in making Clorox truly green.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Anonymous said...

Never mind...I just read the answer in the background info on your page!

Anonymous said...

hello. I am as well concerned about the brita filters.. they do seem to be a better alternative than using countless plastic bottles.. but the filters themselves will probably also add up.. and the carbon.. who knows how harmful that is. A friend of mine told me that the most eco alternative is to subscribe to a water service that uses reusable 10-gallon jugs (those big ones).. what do you guys think? I still think the filters should be recycled!!! GAAAH!!!

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, those big jugs are made from polycarbonate plastic, the kind that is being found to leach bisphenol-A. And aside from that fact, it requires quite a lot of fuel to transport bottled water, even in those big bottles, than to get it directly from your tap.

Tap water is the most environmentally-friendly water you can drink. You can have your water tested to see if you even need to use a filter. You may be fine just drinking it straight from the tap.

Anonymous said...

Surely, there must be a way the local recyclers can recycle them.......have as anyone tried negotiting with them ,
or maybe brita needs a new design

Anonymous said...

I called the 1-800 24 Brita number before I found your site to ask them about recyling. I was prompted in part because the Chicago Tribune recently got good results when testing local water for drugs and toxins using the Brita filter.

A representative there gave me the Clorox main number: 510-271-7000. There, the receptionist tried to direct me to the same 800 number above. I dug in and she said, "Gee, I wonder who I should transfer you to." I got dropped into someone's voicemail box, and didn't expect to hear back.

However, just now, I got a call from Tish Moore, who is an executive administrator in the CEO's office. My message was transfered to her and she called me right away. She said that Clorox has been hearing from a lot of people about this and that they are working on it.

She said calls make a difference.

So keep up your good work. And encourage people to call Clorox at the number above. They seem to be listening.

FYI, I forwarded your URL in a note I wrote to the author of the Chicago Tribune water test article, advising him that the filters are not currently recyclable.

I signed the petition and forwarded the link to some friends.

Regards,

A Concerned Chicagoan

Jennie said...

this is great! I was just trying to find a way to recycle my PUR filter. The brita one I had for the tap leaked. I don't have any used to send you. Hope this works.

julie said...

Here's the text of the letter I'm sending by mail. Thanks for your hard work on this campaign.

Dear Brita Canada:

Re: Recycling Brita Filters

My family has used Brita pitcher filters for many years and we’ve continued to do so recently to avoid the waste of plastic water bottles. When I replace a cartridge I am dismayed at the fact that the old cartridge has to go in the garbage. Each time I ask myself whether it is worthwhile to continue filtering water or whether I should move my family to straight tap water.

I am writing to urge you to redesign the filter cartridges so that they can be refilled. Or, as the Brita company in Europe does, develop a recycling program for the cartridges.

In surveys over the last couple of years the environment consistently ranks as the top issue for Canadians. Your company has the opportunity to gain significant market share and exposure by developing an environmentally friendly process with respect to the cartridges.

I would be grateful to hear from you.

Kind regards,

Anonymous said...

here is my letter I sent to the four guys posted as well as the Brita comment online. Keep up the good work!

Dear Mr. Knauss,

I have been a big fan and customer of the Brita filters for many years. Last year, though, I pledged to stop using excessive plastic in my life, like disposable water bottles and unfortunately, Brita filters. I just could not convince myself that it was better to throw a used filter into the landfill than a plastic bottle. It seems to me that these types of filters should at least be recyclable, if not refillable. Ink cartridges and cell phones can be recycled/reused; shouldn’t a simple water filter be as well?
I applaud the Clorox Company for its recent initiatives to become more environmentally friendly. I still love and support the Burt’s Bees Line and have even bought some of the new Green Works products. I will not, however, be using a Brita filter until there is a better solution than disposable cartridges.
I am aware of the Brita company in Europe has developed a take-back recycling program for all of its filter cartridges. It is a program independent of city recycling. The Brita Company itself collects, dismantles, and recycles the filters. I am certain that a domestic program like this would be successful in the United States and be beneficial to your company, the consumers, and our planet. It may take a bit of new design work, but I am sure your company has the resources to accomplish such a task.
I encourage you to take the forefront again in this new market. It is a great opportunity for Clorox to prove it is more than “green washing” (pardon the pun) and that the company truly cares for the environment.
Thank you for your attention. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter.

J.Knecht said...

Just wrote up four letters to the names provided, to go in the mail tomorrow. I've actually bought and subsequently returned a box of Brita filters when I reconsidered their role in the waste stream. But then I noticed sediment in my water and bit the Brita bullet. Thanks for the effort. Happy to participate!

EcoBurban said...

Sent a letter to each of the 4 names on the list today. Change first paragraph slightly to read:

I have used the Brita pitcher filters for many years to provide safe and healthy drinking water for my four children and our family. However, each time I throw a cartridge in the garbage to replace it with a new one, I feel sad and somewhat confused that this amount of plastic will end up in a landfill, where it will last forever in our environment. I feel this way because I use the Brita system in order to avoid the waste of plastic water bottles, which can add up quickly for a family of six. We have saved so many plastic bottles from entering the waste stream, just by making this small change in our family. So, I urge you to redesign the filter cartridges so that they can be refilled and/or create a system for us to recycle these plastic filter cartridges instead of sending them to the landfill. Can you imagine how making this small change in your company will affect the environment in such a large way?

Will keep you informed on any response I receive. I am sending regular old snail mail, so it might take awhile!

Anonymous said...

im going to collect the filters here at work (500 people) and from my friends as well to send in.

thanks for bringing awareness.

Anonymous said...

I was happy to learn from re-nest about your campaign. Unfortunately, most large corporations are taking a "bolt on" approach to green--adding what looks good without fundamentally greening their business. If you don't mind some advice, I would reach out to the Sierra Club--because according to the article from the NY Times I've referenced below, they've endorsed the latest Clorox green products. Perhaps they can add some real value and put a little lobbying power behind your worthwhile effort.

The article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/26/business/businessspecial2/26cleanser.html?emc=eta1

Regardless, I'm holding onto your address and will send you my used filters in the future.

Anonymous said...

My household has opted OUT of plastic drinking vessels, period. Glass or ceramic or no deal. We do NOT filter anything. We do NOT own a frig that has filtering and will not do so ever. We have a home use distillery and consume that water. There are units that use the sun and not electrical power. Options exist that will put this issue to rest permanently for those who will act upon them. Peace.

Anonymous said...

just drink tap water! you can have it tested and you will see that it is perfectly good. you have all bought into the hype that it is not good for you and have become so misguided. If you doubt this, take a sample into a lab and you will see that I am 100% correct. Somehow I grew up as a kid drinking from the tap and getting a drink from the hose outside, and by some miracle, i am still alive.

Anonymous said...

get someone to sponsor postage. it is the only way i can afford to mail you the filters...

360guy said...

Listen up People: Drinking water 'filtered' with a brita does little if anything to remove the CANCER CAUSING tasteless and odorless DBP's [ dis-infectant by-products from using chlorine on municipal water with organic material. SEE also Journal of National Cancer Institute article page 848 to 856 of the 6/18/97 issue ] Also a link exists to childhood leukemia from the same 'contaminents' of chlorination process per McGill University published article Jan 2000. NO filter is able to 'everything' however Multipure is capable of the doing the Most of anything on the market with 3RD party confirmaiton by www.nsf.org to the highest standards # 53 "health concerns"...Illusion of smelling better and tasting better is not the REALITY of having HEALTHY DRINKING water better thru a MULTIPURE. Lifetime warranty and 90 day unconditional money back guarantee with the POU [ point of use] systems. Better water ...lower costs.... at home "for people pets and planet" www.multipureusa.com/elliott3

Anonymous said...

Listen up, MultiPure salesperson. I might have switched to your product if the tubing were not made from PVC, the POISON PLASTIC.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for putting together this campaign! I a link to your site on my blog : ugogrn.blogspot.com

Clorox needs to take responsibility for its product and produce a filter that can be recycled and/or reused.

Pure makes a filter just like Brita, and should also create a better filter.

I'll spread the word to all the people I know! Keep up the great work!

Anonymous said...

I just emailed the company asking them when they will make filters recyclable. We'll see if they respond.

Anonymous said...

I sent the following message via web feedback form:

I have used Brita pitcher filters for many years now. While I like the option Brita provides me to avoid purchasing bottled water and producing more waste, I would like to know why Brita Filters are not recycled or made to be refilled to further reduce the plastic ending up in a landfill.

It has come to my attention that the Brita company in Europe has developed a take-back recycling program for all of its filter cartridges, the Brita Company itself collecting, dismantling, and recycling the filter cartridges.

I commend the Clorox company's recent efforts to become much more environmentally-friendly. I feel that redesigning the Brita filter cartridges so that they can be recycled or reused/refilled is a logical next step for the company, providing workable solutions for our society and serving as an example for other companies. Would development of a filter using an alternate material, such as steel, that can be refilled with the charcoal or other filter material be feasible?

In addition, creating a take-back program so filters are recycled domestically rather than being shipped overseas, would certainly reduce landfill waste and use of fossil fuels for the processing of used filters.

I look forward to hearing your views on this issue.

Sincerely,

[Jamie]

I agree that simply recyling the plastic may not be the ideal option, so I added the commetn about using a different material for the cartridges and providing refill material. Not sure if that's a viable option, but I thought I'd throw it out there. We'll see what the reply is. Thank you for your work!

Anonymous said...

The Brita may be a good option to reduce waste, but what about the harmful additives like flouride in our water supply. The Brita doesn't filter the harmful additives out. I don't buy Britas for this reason. I would like to see a filter that filters out this toxin which is a by-product of aluminum production.

Anonymous said...

Clorox now owns Burt's Bee's product line.

Banba said...

This campaign is fantastic! I hope you'll check out what I'm trying to do at:
http://minimalisticlifestyle.blogspot.com/2008/05/emergen-c-heres-their-answer.html
I'm trying to get through to Emergen-C that they need better packaging. I think we should pressure these companies one at a time.

Anonymous said...

So why aren't you also targeting PUR with this campaign? Their filters are also thrown in the landfills.

anonymous said...

Please post the deadline for mailing the filters in. I will collect from friends and mail in. Thank you for doing this.

Anonymous said...

A few answers to questions:

1) We don't have a way to sponsor postage as we are not not professional activists but ordinary consumers like you who are spending our own funds to run this campaign. Maybe you could coordinate with others in your area to combine postage and send a bunch at once.

2) We would love for PUR to offer recycling. We are limiting our campaign to BRITA at this time because the system for recycling BRITA filters is already in place in Europe and because Clorox has been stressing how "green" BRITA filters are.

3) Right now, there is no deadline for mailing filters. We'll collect them until we have enough to make an impact.

Anonymous said...

Suggestion- if you want to get word out on your collection of filters why not post a Wanted on Freecycle (Freecycle.org) in your respective areas asking for them? Caveat- to use Freecycle you must first Offer an item so make nicey nice with the moderator and offer something first before posting a wanted. Most people on Freecycle are interested in keeping stuff out of the landfill.

After you make your point, what will eventually happen to all these filters you collect? Will you fundraise to pay to ship them to Germany? I fear Clorox might just throw them out if you do send the bounty to them.

I plan to get my 4H club collecting for you. I run a project in the club called Plastic Eliminators.

EcoBurban said...

Hi FPF,

I had sent 4 letters last month. I received a response today:

Dear Mr.(Eco 'Burban Mom)

Thank you for taking the time to write brita. We appreciate hearing from consumers and I would like to assure you that we share your concerns about the recyclability of Brita Filters in the US.

It's true that Brita filters are recyclable in other countries, because they have recycling programs for such materials. As of now, the US city waste management systems are not equipped to collect Brita filters for recycling puposes.

We understand that's not ideal, and we're working with Waste Management to explore other options, as we are dedicated to sustainability efforts and ensuring customers are happy with our products.

Sincerely,

James Weeks
Executive Office Administrator

So, other than giggling that the called me a Mr. - my real name is certainly VERY girly, passed the buck completely and the letter was written and signed by someone other than who I wrote to, I would say they didn't do a darn thing other than waste paper and a good stamp. I think I will just flip the paper over and rewrite them another note!

BTW - I've got a filter comin' straight to ya, as soon as I get by the post office!

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Take Back the Filter.
I signed the petition, although
I don't use a Brita.
Do you have a similar campaign
planned to target Pur?
I'd be happy to send you me used
Pur filters.
Thanks again!

Anonymous said...

I've been mailing back my used filters to Brita, in the original packaging (which I save), via snail mail, for several years. Here's my standarad cover letter to them. They have never responded to me but I know they've received them since I have occasionally posted them with a receipt confirmation.

SO, I'm thrilled to see this larger campaign!

cheers-

Ytriede


Brita
P.O. Box 29386
Shawnee Mission, KS
66201-5386

July 29, 2007

Dear Brita:

Enclosed are a number of used Brita filters from our water filter system. Our local recycling center will not recycle this plastic because it has the charcoal filters in it. I assume you have a facility where you can remove the filter contents and either re-use the case or recycle the plastic. Thank you for your attention to the environment and for your water filtering systems.

Regards,

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the campaign. We filter rain water for drinking and cooking, and take the filters to the land fill when they're used up. I don't know why I didn't think of this myself. Keep it up.

betty Wray said...

I use Pur water filter system. Do they have a recycling program?

Amy K. said...

Hey, you're mentioned in the LA Times.

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad to see so many people aware and at least trying to make a change. I have been saving my Brita filters for two years in hopes they would develop a recycling program. I will happily put them in the mail to you tomorrow and cross my fingers they help make a difference!

Anonymous said...

What a great thing you are doing. I signed the Petition and posted an article on my very new website. I will start a collection in my home city and spread the word. You can expect a delivery from me!

Anonymous said...

It would be great if you could recycle them yourselves. ie boiling them, ultra-violet Lights etc. You get the idea.

Figure this one out and then they will have to sit up and notice.

After all there is recycleable plastic that they can use.

Anonymous said...

YOU CAN REUSE THE FILTERS!!!!

Goto:

http://www.instructables.com/id/S3DJC97FECFCMFT

A simple straightforward step-by-step method for reusing the plastic filters.

Problem solved.

Nothwithstanding the fact that I have put forward this non-confrontational approach to the problem, I can see there is lots of energy being spent on this. So let me state the obvious...

Clorox is a public company.

The shares of the public company are owned by the "public".

That's you folks (either directly or through your 401k, pension, IRA etc. etc.).

The directors and CEOs of public companies get fired for not making money (the shareholders do the firing by the way).

So you, as shareholders, can tell the public company (at shareholders meetings), how you want the company to behave.

In this case, you would tell Clorox that you don't mind making a few fractions of a penny less in dividends if they'd only recyle the filters.

Problem solved! - Oh by the way this works for all public companies...

Peace


Sven Gali

Anonymous said...

If one drives (or even rides a bus/subway) to drop-off/pick up cartridges, it pollutes the environment more than the minimum packaging that is needed to send the cartridges by mail. So, unless the cartridges are dropped off/picked up by walking/biking, then only sending in by mail should be encouraged, and in fact it should be done only from areas close to the mail destination(s). If you have several destinations across the country, you could collect from the whole country and then send directly from these collection locations to wherever Clorox is, with minimum back-and-forth.

Like transporting anything else, we always have to remind ourselves not to transport unnecessary weight (our cars, our body weight) if we are burning fossil fuel or using electricity in the process.

Best regards.

Maggie

Dr Wong said...

I've been cutting open the filter and scattering the carbon into my compost pile, putting the plastic cartridge remains in my blue recycling bin. Sometimes I'll put some of the activated charcoal into my storm drain to keep that water fresh.

Anonymous said...

In the story in CNet News.com today

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9975759-54.html?tag=cd.blog

Drew McGowan of Brita says:

"Even if we make a recyclable filter tomorrow, it would take one to two years before it could be implemented."

So, let's see ... that means if you had made one five years ago, then YOU'D HAVE "IMPLEMENTED" IT THREE YEARS AGO!

Anonymous said...

Hi Take Back the Filter folks,

Thanks for organizing this campaign. Here is a copy of the letter I wrote and mailed to each of the four executives you list on your website.

I'm also sending a filter and have sent out an email urging friends to do the same.

Cheers,
Sharon

Tarang Amin, Vice President, Global Health & Wellness
The Clorox Company
1221 Broadway
Oakland, CA 94612

8 July 2008


Dear Mr. Amin,

I have used Brita pitcher filters for over twenty years. I use Brita because I am concerned about my health AND the environment; I want to filter out impurities in my tap water in a relatively inexpensive and easy manner, and I want to avoid using bottled water, which fills our landfills with tons of unnecessary, non-biodegradable waste every year.

Today, given the growing number of companies that is encouraging recycling of their products (ink jet cartridges, cell phones, etc.), beyond paper, glass, and cans, I thought that Brita would also have a recycling program. Rather than discarding my most recently used Brita filter, I went online to research where I could send it.

I was very disappointed to find that, though Brita filters are recyclable in Europe, we lag behind in the United States, and Clorox, Brita's owner here, has no recycling program. I would expect U.S. corporations to be leaders in taking such relatively simple and obvious steps to reduce our negative impact on the environment.

I urge you to redesign the filter cartridges so that they can be refilled and/or create a system for us to recycle these plastic filter cartridges instead of sending them to landfills. I know that Clorox has been making efforts lately to become much more environmentally-friendly with its purchase of the Burt̢۪s Bees line, which I use. Please continue such efforts by creating a take-back program so that consumers of Brita filters can send them back to you for domestic recycling.

I look forward to hearing your views on this issue.

Sincerely,

Sharon

Liberally Beautiful said...

Two used Brita filters are on their way to you from Kansas City...actually from Kansas, but I mailed them from work which is in Missouri. Hoping they get credited to the wind farm state of Kansas.

Thanks! Joy

Anonymous said...

Some one commented on drying out a used Brita filter, and reusing it. Is that a good thing to do? Would like to know if this should be done...

Anonymous said...

I'd love it if there was a link to buy the filters (recycled) from this site in the US!

Anonymous said...

step onem cut open cartridge, flush contents into drain (everything trapped by the filter was sold to us as pure by the local water agency, right?
step two put empty filer in with other recyclables.

Anonymous said...

Oct 6 Anonymous: The only problem with flushing down the drain is that Brita filters contain ion exchange resin, a type of tiny plastic granule that should not be flushed into our waterways. Tiny plastic pieces are wreaking havoc in the marine environment. But I love your idea that what is trapped by the filter was sold to us as "clean" in the first place.

Also, putting the empty plastic container into the recycle bin does not necessarily mean it will be recycled. If your community does not accept number 5 plastic, it will go to the landfill. And even if your community does accept #5, the sorting belts go by very fast and the human sorters are looking for the familiar shapes of containers that they know are most likely a certain type of plastic. If they can't tell right away what a Brita filter is, they will just let it go by. Once again, landfill.

Anonymous said...

I fear that this may be a poor priority given the numerous environmental problems we face. Good choices include deciding what to spend our own limited energy and time on. I am especially discouraged by your request to use fossil fuels to ship expended cartridges. Use photoshop instead. In truth, I suspect that if those who use bottled water would use filtered water instead, things would be far better than they are now.

Anonymous said...

In answer to what happens to the filters that are recycled this is taken from the brita UK website.

"The plastic material is pre-cleaned and then grinded. The resulting plastic granulate is supplied to the plastics industry for renewed processing for various purposes."

Anonymous said...

What an awesome campaign, I am glad I found your site!

I just bought my girlfriend a Brita Jug for her birthday (I was getting sick of all of those plastic bottles) and it was very well received. I was concerned about where to get more filters in the future - seems I should have thought one step further - recycling the old one!

I have an idea of how you can reach more people - set up an 'organisation' profile on www.supergreenme.com It will get the word out there on the net further, and will also have access to the SuperGreenMe community! An online group of like-minded eco people.

Good luck, I look forward to supporting the campain!

Dave.

Anonymous said...

If anyone out there knows how I could recycle water filters that we use for our entire house, could you please email me and let me know at carriemacgillis1@comcast.net. I'm trying to find out how I could recycle the filters and have gotten no where so far. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I wrote an "instructable" on how to refill the pitcher cartridges and it can be found here: http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-refill-a-disposable-Brita-brand-water-pit/

You can also recycle your filter casings by inquiring from the manufacturer as to the type of plastic used. The carbon can be "recycled" via a woodstove, but it can also be mixed into potting soil, etc. As you can tell, I'm not a conservative-religious type of environmentalist... just practical. :-D

Anonymous said...

Sorry for the incomplete link above... here's the whole link, but you'll have to copy & paste, then remove the spaces...

http://www.instructables.com/id/
How-to-refill-a-disposable-Brita
-brand-water-pit/

Anonymous said...

Oh, rats, I just sent Clorox a "thank you" email but I didn't save a copy. It said something along the lines of...:

"I just read that I can now recycle my Brita Filters by bringing them to Whole Foods or mailing them to Preserve. And I just want to say:

THANK YOU!!!

I already mail in my Preserve toothbrushes for recycling. I already use a metal water bottle instead of buying water, and bring my own bags to the grocery store. Thank you for giving me one more easy way to put less plastic in the land fill.

Thank you for making it easy. Thank you for setting a good example for corporate America. Thank you for making me glad to be a Brita customer. You can bet I'll be telling all my friends.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on the success of your program. I'm sure the campaign played a big part in getting Brita to develop a policy for all of the waste it creates.

The question is... what next?

I have a suggestion. Why not target the companies that produce the refrigerator filters used to filter water directly through the fridge door?

Brita makes these and so does Whirlpool. Neither has a program to take back their own filters and local recycling programs certainly won't take them.

The hard part has to be over. You got Brita to take back the small filters. There should be no reason they won't take the large ones.

What do you say?

Anonymous said...

I just wrote this letter to Frigidaire.

"Dear Frigidaire,

I have a Frigidaire refrigerator with a water/ice maker. I really hate that I throw the enormous filters in the trash every six months. In this increasingly competitive sales environment, distinguishing your product as eco-friendly is a smart choice. Now, I could suggest a recycling program, but the smarter more efficient choice would be to develop a water filter made of plastic that degrades on it's own. This is an opportunity to set yourself apart. I hope you accept the challenge."

I hope some of you out there can write some letters in to the refrigerator companies and get this ball rolling.

Anonymous said...

PUR has a facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=9335956377&topic=10687

Above is a link to their discussion page, regarding recycling. Hit their page. Make it look like they're doing nothing. Help motivate them. Let them know there is a demand. Make a difference!

Anonymous said...

The Gimme Five program only recycles the plastic, which my household recycling program will recycle... WHAT ABOUT THE CARBON? The problem hasn't been solved and you're easing up on the manufacturers. The As for the foot print the carbon (sequestered CO2) has to be "mined" from nutshells, peat, wood, coir, lignite, coal and petroleum pitch (CO2), then it has to be chemically or physically reactivated (more CO2). This is a pretty dirty process and the regeneration of active carbon has a smaller footprint. It take CO2 to ship and recycle, but I'd be dollars to doughnuts that like aluminum we are better off recycling/regenerating rather than landfilling.

Christian W said...

Hi. I'm in the Unique position of living in E.Europe and buying pitcher filters that are made in Germany. Where I live in Slovakia, they recyle some things, but I'm not sure about filters. In Austria, which is literally down the block from where I live they recycle EVERTHING. Problem is I know no details of any recyling programs for filters here. Does anyone know if there is a Europe wide general recycle program or address? In Europe, do they take filters to the stores where you buy them usually? I just started buying filters but so far language barriers have stopped me asking people in the store? Cheers! Christan

http:patriziamaterassi.blogspot.com/ said...

Suggestion: provide a signature spot on the site so one could sign a letter right there and the letter would go automatically. Thank you Patrizia