Water & Air – Filter Systems News

Each year on March 17, we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Did you know that the original color associated with St. Patrick was blue? The color blue is often connected to depth and stability, but also symbolizes trust, faith, loyalty, wisdom and truth. As early as the 17^th century, however, the color green was worn in celebration of this day. Green is also symbolic of balance, life, nature, fertility, health, good luck, tranquility, well-being and even jealousy.

For over 1,000 years, the Irish observed St. Patrick’s Day as a religious holiday, although it is steeped with deep-rooted folklore. From shamrocks to leprechauns sitting on a pot o’ gold at the end of the rainbow, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in the United States and abroad with Irish inspired feasts, parades and gallantly wearing many hues of green. To commemorate this lucky day and the arrival of spring, we decided to share some of our all time favorite green items that do not require a 4-leaf clover for good luck.

Water Filtration Pitchers: Green Brita Grand Water Filter Pitcher and the Green Elemaris XL Water Filtration Pitcher.

Reusable Water Bottles:  Be Green Klean Kanteen 27 oz Bottle & Loop Cap, Green Vapur Anti Bottle Water Bottle and KOR Delta Sawgrass Green Water Bottle.

Humidifiers: Green Crane EE-5301 Cool Mist Humidifier and Crane Ultrasonic Cool Mist Frog Humidifier.

Ireland is known for its lush green landscape and is thus named the Emerald Isle. Is it really true that if you do not wear green on St. Patrick’s Day you will get pinched by a leprechaun? Moreover, what about the “Fighting Irish” of Notre Dame? Will they wear green on St. Patrick’s Day or are they immune to the pinches by the legendary leprechauns?

Image Credit: tinleypark.org

St. Patrick’s Day is not the only reason why we’re celebrating “Going Green.” With Spring announcing its arrival next week and World Water Day falling on March 22, the call to action for being good stewards of our environment is more urgent than ever. If we don’t take care of our environment, our environment will definitely turn on us. We are paying homage to the value of going green as it relates to water. It comes as no surprise that the birthstone for March is an Aquamarine. This pale blue gemstone whose name originates from the Roman word “Aqua” meaning water and “Mare” meaning sea resembles the color of seawater.

For decades, we have grown familiar with the term “Going Green.” It is a ubiquitous statement that defines our worldwide ecosystem and the lives of humans and animal life everywhere. Around the world people, businesses and charities are making great strides by building communities to raise awareness about caring for and nurturing our neighbors and our planet.

As we prepare to celebrate World Water Day on March 22, Filters Fast would like to recognize some of our water filter vendors who have implemented impressive recycling programs for their products and going green initiatives.

Mavea offers a comprehensive recycling program where every part is broken down, cleaned and re-used. Nothing goes to the landfill. Return a minimum of 6 “Mavea” filters (only). They will pay the shipping costs. Simply request a pre-paid shipping label. https://www.mavea.com/mavea/mavea-recycling.html?L=0

Rainshow’r is now proud to partner with Active Recycling, an environmentally aware recycler, who understands our desire to limit our impact. For more information about their recycling program visit http://www.rainshowermfg.com/page6/page6.html.

Brita has a recycling campaign that recycles its carbon filters for the pitchers and faucet attachment models. For more information on recycling your Brita, filter visit http://www.brita.com/.

ZeroWater recycles their filters by separating each filter, then sending the plastic along with the materials inside to be sent to various facilities for reuse. Visit http://ww2.zerowater.com/recycling/ for more information.

Everpure water filtration products are recyclable and details on recycling locations can be found at www.everpure.com/ or  you can contact Everpure at (800) 323-7873.

Make sure you are only sending filters made by these companies to avoid being charged for additional shipping. Through recycling, we can significantly reduce the amount of waste that litters our landfills and save energy compared to creating new waste with new products. Everything we do or don’t do plays a vital role in the health and dynamics of planet Earth.

If you’re a student with a passion for sustainability and a desire to see your great idea for environmental change put into action, you just might have the opportunity through the Brita FilterForGood Eco-Challenge.

Brita wants to hear your idea for a green initiative to bring about environmental awareness and change on your campus. The company is giving away $1000 to 50 recipients this year for their contest which will end on November 19. Students and faculty members from kindergarten to college are eligible to apply. Simply state, in 150 words or less, how you would make your campus more sustainable, and if your idea is chosen, you’ll receive a $1,000 grant to help fund it into action.

Brita’s FilterForGood campaign began as an initiative to reduce the harmful waste created by plastic bottled water by encouraging people to drink filtered water out of a reusable bottle instead. Since then, Brita has been involved in many efforts to raise awareness and promote change within a host of other environmental issues. In previous years, the Eco-Challenge contest has proven itself a great way to motivate students on campus to be proactive in bringing about environmental change.

To apply for the contest, visit the Brita FilterForGood Eco-Challenge website and complete the form on the right side of the page.

What do you look for in a water filter pitcher? Sleek design? Advanced technology? Affordability?

Manufacturers of water pitcher filters take these factors into consideration when marketing their products.  Perhaps the most well-known pitcher filter on the market today is the Brita brand, with $5 billion in sales. Seven out of ten pitchers sold to consumers bear the Brita name. With so many alternate brands on the market, it’s only natural to wonder why.

In 2000, Brita sold sole rights to its brand to the Clorox Company. Seven years later, the MAVEA brand was launched by former Brita CEO Markus Hankammer. With a newer, contemporary, stylish design, the MAVEA Elemaris pitchers are priced at $32 to $40. Clorox-owned Brita carafes range from $11 to $32, with its latest, comparable upscale design priced at $23. (Is it safe to assume that the top priority for consumers is affordability?)

Nick Vlahos, vice president of Clorox’s Brita division thinks so. However, Hankammer argues that as these pitchers become less trendy over time, good design becomes more and more of a necessity. MAVEA pitchers have a rubber base and soft-grip handle, with a sleek design that looks great on any dinner table. MAVEA also claims to be ahead of the game in filtration technology, with a unique oval-shaped micromesh filter that prevents carbon fragments from escaping into the water. (I’m sure we’re all familiar with those tiny black dots…).

Brita and MAVEA are not the only water filtration pitchers on the market today. Many companies that manufacture water filters have pitchers somewhere in their product lines, including GE, Culligan and PUR. Each of these brands has something unique to offer. With so many options, how do you go about choosing the best one?

• Find out what’s in your water. The reduction of chlorine taste and odor, along with chlorination byproducts, is a given with most water filter pitcher brands. Some pitchers also reduce microbiological cysts, heavy metals, pharmaceutical traces, and agricultural and industrial pollutants.
• Pick a price point. Obviously, affordability is a major priority for most consumers. How much are you willing to spend?
• Look for the design that best suits your needs. How much space in your refrigerator are you willing to sacrifice for a water filter pitcher? Will you use your pitcher while entertaining guests? If so, how important is appearance? Some pitchers have an opening in the lid to allow for convenient, one-handed refills under the faucet.

These steps are in no particular order. Which of them do you consider most important? (Hint: take our latest poll.)

Last week, we did a blog post on celebrities for bottled water.  You didn’t just think we’d leave you hanging without presenting the other side of the equation, did you?  The celebrities for bottled water endorse the commodity by giving it a sexy image.  It appears that those against bottled water bring a little more to the table than a sexy appearance.  Whose side are you on?

Oprah Winfrey

One of the most followed and admired television faces in America added the environment to her list of favorite things over a year ago.  Along with reusable grocery bags and Seventh Generation cleaning products, Oprah has switched to reusable water bottles to reduce plastic bottle waste.

Adam Yauch

Former Beastie Boys rapper, Adam Yauch, calls out Nestle, Pepsi and Coca-Cola in his award-winning documentary film Flow: For Love of Water. The movie bashes bottled water companies for their “privatization of the world’s dwindling fresh-water supply.”  See our list of must-watch water movies for more information on Flow along with other, similar films.

Dave Matthews Band, Ben Harper and Relentless 7

This year, Dave Matthews Band, Ben Harper and Relentless 7 are all teaming up with Brita, Nalgene and the Filter for Good campaign to rid their summer tours of plastic water bottles.  At each concert, refilling stations will be set up where fans can obtain and refill free, reusable water bottles.  These stations will also supply further information on ways to conserve and protect the planet.  Brita’s Filter for Good channel, featuring DMB and other similar artists, is available on Pandora.  I think it’s safe to assume that when Dave wrote “Don’t Drink the Water,” he must have been talking about the bottled kind.

Kelly Osbourne

Feeling guilty about sipping bottled spring water, earlier this year daughter of rock star Ozzy Osbourne, Kelly Osbourne, pledged to go green by giving up bottled water, in order to help the environment.

Gisele Bundchen

Brazilian supermodel, Gisele Bundchen has been spotted several times with a SIGG reusable water bottle.  Though it’s uncertain whether she does so in an effort to preserve the environment, it is questionable, considering her marriage to Tom Brady who is actively involved in the Smart Water ad campaigns.

Cindy Crawford

Clearly bottled water companies aren’t the only ones who realize that sexy sells.  Two years ago, PUR Water Filtration partnered with supermodel Cindy Crawford to promote the use of filtered water over bottled.

Garrison Keillor

TreeHugger cites a quote from Garrison Keillor on the wastefulness of bottled water, from a 2007 article in the Salt Lake Tribune.  This Minnesota public radio show host turned his back on bottled water once he realized that tap is just as good or better.  We advocate filtered tap, of course.

Parents, here are some filters to protect your kids from air and water pollutants.

You know what they say: “A filter a day keeps the doctor away.”

Okay, so maybe that’s not how the original saying goes, but there is still some truth to it. If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, then parents should, no doubt, be concerned about what their children are eating. What parents may not know is that the quality of what their children are drinking, bathing in and breathing is just as important.  Here are some ways to ensure your kids have access to pure, uncontaminated sources of air and water.

Filters for Kids, Part One: The Stuff We Drink

National Geographic recently published an article discussing the dangers of contaminated water that runs through school fountains and sinks. Water contaminated with lead and other toxic substances is a particular concern for urban schools that have old pipelines, as lead is known to affect the physical and mental development of children. Clearly, lead belongs in the pencils children use at school, not in their drinking water.

The obvious solution to this problem is – you guessed it – bottle water.  But, before you send your child off to school with an apple and a bottle of water in his lunchbox, consider the risks. Bottled water is 1,000 times more costly than tap and is bad for the environment. There is also a chance that if your child is drinking water from a bottle, he may be exposed to bisphenol-A (BPA), a harmful substance found in a variety of plastic containers and other consumer products, including baby bottles.

It looks like we have a true dilemma on our hands. If tap water is bad, and bottled water is bad, then what can your child drink?

Well, not all bottles are bad. A lot of plastic bottle manufacturers have switched to BPA-free bottles, since consumers and the FDA expressed concerns about the health risks of this toxic substance. Rather than buying bottled water, (which is likely bottled tap water anyway), parents can instead buy reusable water bottles for kids and refill them with filtered tap water. Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottles come in various sizes and are BPA-free, as are Klean Kanteen Sippy Cups for smaller children.  Certain models of the Brita filter pitcher also come with a BPA-free Nalgene bottle.  Another solution is to purchase a bottle that has an attachable filter cartridge. The Filters Fast 16 oz. water filter bottle removes significant amounts of lead and other toxic contaminants every time you refill it.

To be continued…

Despite the many studies and reports exposing bottled water as nothing more than tap water, one man is proving that our country might not be ready to tap out just yet: even when the water is blatantly marketed as tap water.
The Los Angeles Times recently reported on Craig Zucker, the founder of a new bottled water called Tap’d NY. As the name suggests, Tap’d NY takes as its source the same reservoirs and lakes that provide New York City with its tap water. The only real difference between the two? Price, of course, and one well marketed bottle.
A quick glance tells you this isn’t your parents’ bottled water. Rather than spell out the unnecessarily long word “Tapped,” the company has chosen to eschew needless letters in favor of a simple apostrophe. It’s a testament to the widely known fact that alternative spellings or abbreviated words just sell better.
The label also touts that “No glaciers were harmed in making this water.”
To be fair, some of the nation’s finest tap water does flow through New York City’s faucets. But that begs the question–why would anyone buy Tap’d NY if they can get the very same water in their own home? A BPA-free plastic bottle or glass decanter allows you to take this water wherever you go.
If you live in an area with off-tasting tap water, there’s a solution for that, too. You can filter the impurities from your tap water with any number of filtration systems, depending on the quality of your water. Our Brita pitcher systems, for example, are a great way to rid your water of the taste and odor of chlorine, as well as other contaminants.
The end result is water that often tastes better and is more healthy than its bottled counterpart, not to mention at a fraction of the cost. Better still, you won’t be contributing to the millions of bottles that go unrecycled every year. You know, so you don’t harm any glaciers while making your water.