Your Complete Guide To Recycling Your Used Water Filters

Water filters are a fantastic way to make sure that your drinking water is safe and free from dangerous contaminants. Tap water, although treated at a plant, is still full of bacteria and chemicals that may prove hazardous to your health over time. Luckily, there is now a wide range of filter jugs and home filtration systems that remove the vast majority of these elements from your drinking water.

While these filters tend to last a long time with the proper maintenance and care,  you will eventually need to purchase new ones. So what do you now do with the used filter? Tosh it in the trash? Well, we hope you don’t.

If you have an old water filter and are wondering how to dispose of it in the best way,  let this article be your guide.  We’ll explain how to check whether your filter is on its last legs, how to recycle a variety of popular brands, and, how to take care of your water filter to ensure it lasts as long as possible.

How Can You Tell If Your Water Filter Is Too Old? 

Before you start looking into how you can recycle your water filter, here are some tips on figuring out whether your filter really is too old to be used.

You should note that this article will focus on recycling the filter cartridges. Most filters need to be replaced every once in a while while the jug itself (the refrigerator system) will remain usable once a new cartridge is installed.

The lifespan of the average water filter cartridge is around six to twelve months. This will depend on the make and model of your water filter. It also depends on the quality of your tap water. If you tap water is unusually high in contaminants your water filter will likely need to be changed more frequently.

Why You Should Recycle You Water Filters

Water filters are made up of a variety of components, some of which are easier to recycle than others. However, if you have an old filter, it’s important that you figure out which parts can be recycled and where.

If you simply dump your filter in the trash, you will be contributing to the massive amount of plastic waste. If you dump the entire filter in the recycling, you risk contaminating an entire batch of recycling and creating even more waste.

Some companies have recycling programs in place, while others do not. Here are a few major water filter brands that do have programs in place to recycle.

Can You Recycle Entire Water Filter Pitcher/ Jug? 

Most jugs are made with plastic. Depending on what type of plastic is used, you should be able to recycle the jug. Plastics are numbered from one to seven. Find out what number of plastic your jug is made of. Types one, two, and sometimes four are readily recyclable. Type three is never recyclable. When in doubt, contact the manufacturer directly to inquire about recycling the jug.

How To Recycle EverPure Filters

Everpure is a company that is dedicated to making the recycling process easy. The Everpure cartridges are made of aluminum and plastic which makes them easily recyclable. To recycle Everpure filters, contact the company to find the nearest drop-off location. It is also possible to mail your cartridges to a recycling site if there are no locations close to you.

How To Recycle Filtrete Water Station

Filtrete use #2 plastic, which is easily recycled. In fact, this is the same type of plastic used to make standard milk jugs. To recycle you will need to separate the filter from the plastic by rotating the top until it pops open ,removing the filtering material inside(you can throw away this part) and recycling the plastic parts together with your other recyclables.

How To Recycle Mavea Water Filters

Mavea used to have a recycling program where you can mail them your old water filter cartridges. They will break them down and reuse them for making new ones. But this program is no longer available.

The company recommends reviewing your municipal regulations to know if you can recycle your water filter cartridges with your household recycling. Most municipalities do allow water filter cartridges for household recycling.

How To Recycle Brita Water Filters

Brita has a comprehensive recycling scheme in place. Manually dry the used filters and remove any excess water, then let them dry for at least three days. Brita recommends that you collect at least five pounds of recyclable products before shipment. After you have enough filters, wrap them in a recyclable bag and pack them in a box. Use Brita’s website to create an account and print a free shipping label.

Brita uses its recycled products to create a range of products, including toothbrushes, razor handles, and cutting boards. Any contaminants in the used filters are regenerated for alternative use.

Can You Recycle Refrigerator Water Filters?

Just like regular water filters, you need to change your refrigerator water filters too. Their cartridges can grow bacteria and result in low-quality water.

You can contact the manufacturer of your refrigerator water filter to know if they have a recycling program in place. If they don’t, here is an alternative program that can cater to a wide range of filters.

Simply check their website to know if they accept the brand of your filter. If they do, buy a shipping label to paste on your box and you are good to go.

GE Appliances used to have a recycling program too. But it is no longer available.

Final Thoughts

Filtration systems can be a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. With a good water filter, you will reduce the number of plastic bottles you purchase. But if you throw away your old water filter cartridges rather than recycle them, you will eventually build up quite a lot of waste.

Do your best to figure out whether recycling is a viable option or not for your water filter brand. Contact the company to inquire about whether they offer a recycling program or not.

We leave you with these key tips: 

1. Beware of scams! Do thorough research on the company you choose to use to recycle your products. If you discover that your water filter company does not offer a recycling program, you may be tempted by one of the many online companies claiming to recycle your used cartridges for a small fee. Unless you are sure the company is reputable, avoid paying for recycling schemes.
2. Do not cut open yourself. You may also find online instructional videos and tutorials showing you how to take the cartridge apart so that you can recycle its various components yourself. This can be incredibly dangerous, as you risk exposing your family and your home to the dangerous contaminants that have built up in your filter over the past few months.
3. Contact local stores. Instead of doing it yourself, do some research on which stores in your area are equipped with filter recycling facilities. Home Depot & Whole Food stores tend to offer filter recycling, for example.
4. Change your Filter as recommended: Do remember to change your water filter cartridges regularly. The most important thing is that you keep your water supply fresh and safe.

We hope this guide has helped you figure out how to recycle your old water filters and their cartridges!