Take Back Your Filters!

We all want and deserve clean water. Right?

In my quest for clean, good tasting water my uses a water filter installed in the fridge. For years before we had a fridge unit we used a filter attached to the faucet. Back in college I had a Brtia pitcher with a filter inside. Those plasticy filters are not recyclable in the US, There are directions and how to refill the cartridges, but apparently they involve some sort of power drill.

The earth warrior blogger Fake Plastic Fish is spearheading a campaign to ask Clorox to take back and recycle Brita water filter cartridges. Apparently these filters are recyclable in Europe but not in North America. Hmmmm....and Clorox is totting itself as a "green" company with it's new line of household cleaners. Wouldn't this be a great time for Clorox to really go green?


Want to help? Here are the directions according to Fake Plastic Fish;

The Take Back the Filter Campaign has officially begun. Join us in asking Clorox to:

1) Redesign its Brita filter cartridges so that the plastic housing can be refilled rather than discarded each time the filter is changed.

2) Provide a take-back program, such as the one that exists in Europe, so that used cartridges can be returned to the company for recycling.

3) Create a system for the cartridges to be dismantled and the components recycled/reused domestically rather than landfilled, incinerated, or shipped overseas.Please visit the new web site: http://www.takebackthefilter.org/ for complete background information and to take action.

What are we asking you to do?

1) Sign the petition at http://www.takebackthefilter.org/.

2) Send me your used Brita filter cartridges. I have set up a mailbox specifically for this purpose. Or, if you live in the Bay Area, you can email me to arrange pickup. Instructions are at http://www.takebackthefilter.org/. At some point, we'll deliver them all to Clorox (whose corporate office is just down the street from me in Oakland) to make a strong, visual statement.

3) If you're feeling really motivated, please write a letter to Clorox. A sample letter is also included at http://www.takebackthefilter.org/, of course.

4) And finally, spread the word. Tell everyone you know. Collect their used cartridges and ask them to sign the petition. We even have a sample e-mail at at http://www.takebackthefilter.org/ for you to cut and paste.


Thanks for getting involved and signing the petition!