Our filters are made of recyclable materials and may be placed in a recycling bin.
Carbon Filter (air purifier)
Because of this, they are often used in air purifiers. They can be recycled, but you'll need to remove any metal and plastic components (if there are any). Once you've done that, the activated charcoal can be simply recycled along with your regular trash.
Brita filters cannot be recycled by Recology. However, Brita has a partnership to recycle its products with TerraCycle. Sign up to receive a free shipping label and send old Brita filters to be recycled.
When in doubt, the best way to handle your old, used water filter is to dispose of the filter media via your municipal solid waste. If one is available, you should send the filter media to a recycling company. Then, the shell of the water filter should be discarded in your trash.
Composting. If it's in compressed “carbon block” form, like one of our USC2000 filters, crush it up and mix it into compost or soil - it also works very well in pot plants. The carbon won't just sit in the soil passively but will positively add to it by increasing aeration, and water retention.
Some pleated filters can be recycled, especially if they are made from recyclable plastics or materials that can be processed in recycling facilities. However, it's essential to check with your local recycling program to determine whether they accept pleated filters.
Brita and PUR have partnered with TerraCycle to create recycling programs for their pitchers, bottles, filters, dispensers, faucet mounts and all packaging, effectively making the water filtration products 100% waste-free.
However, if you use a BRITA branded water filter you can recycle used filters in collection boxes at most Sainsbury's, Robert Dyas and Tesco stores, as well as many other large retailers and independent stores. Some collection boxes will accept any brand of water filter, check in your local area for more information.
Customer Recycling Services
The Home Depot takes back rechargeable batteries, CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs) and plastic bags. You can find a recycling bin with directions for dropping off these materials near the entrance of your local Home Depot store.
Depending on your filter type, after 2 months, 6 months or 6 years, your filter could be covered in bacteria, rendering it unable to perform up to optimal spec, and turning it into a petri dish for all other contaminants to thrive, and those very contaminants that you tried to prevent from entering your house will be ...
They can't be recycled into paper. Instead they should be composted.
Replace your Brita® Original Filter every 40 gallons, or about every 2 months for most households. § If you have hard water, you may need to change filters more often. When you install a new filter, use your built-in electronic filter indicator or sticker calendar indicator so you'll know exactly when to replace it.
For BRITA household water filters the same recycling process applies: The filters are collected locally and transported to our recycling facility in Germany. On our website www.brita.net/recycling you can find information on how the recycling process works in detail.
Air filters are regulated as a solid waste mixed with a listed hazardous waste. Air filters may qualify as hazardous debris and may be washed so as to no longer contain a listed hazardous waste.
First, check if the manufacturer or retailer has a take-back program. Many companies offer recycling or disposal services for their products. If not, you can try donating the air purifier to a local charity or organization that accepts used appliances. Make sure to clean and sanitize the unit before donating.
You can wash, dry and reuse most pre-filters and carbon filters, but you'll need to buy a replacement HEPA filter from time to time.
Acceptable items include: Monitors, fax machines, desktop and laptop computers, printers, scanners, keyboards, mice, telephones, digital cameras, VCR/DVD players, televisions, cords and cables.
Put in the Garbage or check out the TERRACYCLE mail-in recycling program.
Many local recycling centers accept water filters, especially if they're made of recyclable plastics. If there's no option locally, researching online recycling services that accept filters can be a helpful alternative.
For over 30 years, all PUR filters have undergone rigorous testing to ensure U.S. standards for safety are met. In fact, PUR's faucet filtration systems are certified by NSF and WQA for their contamination reduction.
PUR's specialty is filtering performance. Even its basic filter (the aptly-named PUR Basic) can filter out far more contaminants and particulates than Brita's top-of-the-line filters. For this reason, if you need a serious water-filtering system, PUR should be considered the better one.