FilterForGood: Filtered tap water plus reusable water bottle

This week's eco-topic: Water

Ditched the bottled water habit? Then you'll want a water filter -- and a to-go bottle. And those in the water biz are a step ahead of you: Brita and Nalgene have combined their forces to create the FilterForGood campaign, encouraging people to drink filtered tap water in to-go reusable bottles instead of continuously buying bottled water.

FilterForGood encourages all to pledge to give up bottled water. In exchange for your pledge, you get a coupon for $5 off a Brita system or a buck off a filter. And you can buy your own FilterForGood Nalgene bottle to carry that good filtered water in.

I know what you're thinking: Plastic Brita pitcher + plastic filter + plastic Nalgene bottle = A lot of plastic for a campaign that's partly about reducing plastic.

Still, one Brita pitcher can last many, many years -- and the plastic filters still mean a lot less plastic in the world than the equivalent in one-use plastic bottles. I actually use a Brita pitcher myself -- but here's info on a few other filter options, including the ceramic filter, which I believe is the least plasticky option out there.

The Nalgene bottles don't curry much favor with me, however -- mainly because of the five FilterForGood bottles offered, three are made of polycarbonate (#7 plastic), aka Lexan, which is linked to bisphenol-A (BPA). According to Grist, BPA's "an endocrine disruptor that mimics estrogen and has been linked to aneuploidy, adipogenesis, and other scary problems with funny names. Drinking water or eating food containing leached BPA may cause chromosomal disruption, miscarriages, birth defects, or obesity." Yummy!

So if you end up getting a Nalgene, opt for one of the two HDPE bottles (#2 plastic), which are known to be safer. Note, however, that one of these is a Canada-specific bottle with both English and French logos -- which may or may not appeal to you, depending on how you feel about Canadians or the French language.

If you're trying to de-plastic as much as possible, the better choice is to go with an aluminum or stainless steel bottle. I have both a Bring Your Own stainless steel to-go mug and a Sigg aluminum to-go water bottle. One benefit of writing an eco-blog: People send you lots and lots of to-go mugs and bottles ...

Comments

[jrb]

The Brita pitcher filter set up is great. I found one at a thrift store for a couple of bucks. The filters are the most expensive part of it, but one filter lasts 3 months. Since I'm the only person in my household, I use them longer.

Where I live the water is pretty hard, plus the building I'm in is probably turn of the century. The tap water usually comes out these old pipes a faint yellow color until I run it a while, so drinking the tap water has always been a big concern for me.

What convinces me that the Brita filter is doing a good job is that I've used it to filter water for making coffee for the last four years and I haven't had to de-lime my coffee pot once in all that time.

Nice to know I can now get a discount on the filters,

Thanks for the info!

[Sheryl Lyon]

I have heard the same arguments against Nalgene. The safest (and most eco friendly)options for portable water containers are stainless steel and aluminum.

[Jason Stoddart]

To the person who uses the brita filters for longer than 3 months... You may want to reconsider doing that, bacteria start to grow in the filter and it may start shedding some of it after that amount of time... Just an FYI....

[Brooke]

Are the Brita filters recyclable? What do you do with the filters once you're done using them?

[Sue Reynolds]

Does the Brita filter take out the trace amounts of psychotropic drugs that is in tap water?

Also Naglene or plastic reusable containers may leach endocrine disruptors, which all soft plastics contain, that mimic female hormone.

Stainless steel containers, like Army issued canteens or the variety of stainless steel container products, are not only better for the environment but better for you.