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Tell Clorox: Take back the filter!
We're always telling you to filter your water 'round these parts. It's true, a good carbon filter will get rid of most common pollutants (though not all), and they're a lot less expensive than a reverse-osmosis system. But every couple of months or so, you're left with a grit-filled hunk of plastic that can't be recycled. There's nothing to do with an old filter but throw it out -- and that hardly seems eco-friendly.
Unless you live in Europe, where the German company that makes Brita pitcher and faucet-mounted filter systems has created a filter takeback system. Returned, used filters are taken apart and reused or recycled. Unfortunately Clorox, who hold Brita's distribution license in the U.S., has no such program.
Enter the incomparable Beth Terry. In her quest to rid her life of plastic trash, those Brita filters were becoming a roadblock. Apparently she decided the roadblock needed to come down. Now, with a team of concerned citizens from across the country, Beth has created the Take Back the Filter campaign -- because if they can do it in Europe, there's no reason they can't do it here. Go to the website to sign the petition and write a letter to Clorox execs. You can even send your used filters to the Take Back the Filter team, and they'll deliver them en masse to Clorox!
We shouldn't have to choose between clean water and not creating trash. Tell Clorox to Take Back the Filter!
Europe is good with this "cradle to grave" concept of corporate responsibility to the environment. Not so much so in the US. This is great---I'll definitely sign the pledge. I stopped using Brita filters years ago b/c I thought they were wasteful and largely unnecessary. I think tap water tastes fine in Rochester, NY.
Amanda, don't you mean "Cradle to Cradle"? Cradle to grave is what we practice in the US. All products eventually being "buried" as waste instead of reused to form a new cycle of product.
Erik, I think you must be referring to Steven's comment, but you're right -- he must have meant cradle-to-cradle.
Thanks for blogging about the Take Back The Filter campaign. We've had great news this week! Brita has created a program to take back and recycle the filters. Read about it here:
http://www.takebackthefilter.org/2008/11/brita-and-preserve-announce-filter.html