Filtering the Filter

So you don’t drink bottled water, you filter your tap water instead. But what do you do with the filter? Unfortunately, until now there have been few options but to throw it in the trash. But thanks to a Take Back the Filter campaign, that’s changing.

Brita, the leading maker of tap water filters, has announced it will now recycle its filters into items such as toothbrushes, cups and cutting boards.

Beginning in January, consumers can recycle water pitcher filters through a program with Preserve, which offers an environmentally friendly recycling infrastructure for no. 5 polypropylene plastic, a primary material in Brita pitcher filters. Preserve is a leading manufacture of products made with recycled material.

Consumers can drop off used, dry pitcher filters at participating Whole Foods Market stores or mail them directly to Preserve. Full instructions will be available at http://www.brita.com in early January.