What can I use spent water filter cartridges for?

Morty_007

Hi all,
Well, the question is in the title really. I hate throwing the finished cartridges away but have no idea what to use them for!

Any thoughts gratefully received. Sorry if this has been discussed, I did have a search but it pulled up about a thousand threads and none of the titles looked very promising.

Thanks in advance!
Morty

Pink.

Hi Morty,

I'll move this over to the green and ethical board to see if you can get some replies there.

Pink

Ken-Dodds-Hairy-Knodule

Use refillable cartridges. Then you don't have to throw anything away.

(well, other than the carbon).

Murtle

where do you find refillable cartridges, to be honest I've never heard of them

Ken-Dodds-Hairy-Knodule

http://www.spiritofnature.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fspiritofnature%2eco%2euk%2f&WD=filter%20water&SHOP=%20&PN=kitchen%2ehtml%23a4646#a4646
http://www.naturalcollection.com/natural-products/Pure-Deliciously-Clean-Water---Whenever-You-Want-.asp

I can't vouch for either company - just the first couple I found searching.

If you have a good wholefood store/workers coop nearby they will probably sell them too.

Morty_007

anyone else got any brght ideas? I don't really want to get into the refillable cartridge thing...i'm more of an O/S type, unofficial DFW than wanting to be green and the refillable cartridges are about twice the price I pay for a disposable cartridge. I just wondered if anyone put the remains on their garden or anything...

woollyjumper

We send our back to the manufacturer Brita with free postage..
they then recycle them.
http://www.brita.net/uk/faqs_household.html?L=1#2

Murtle

thank you woollyjumper - have saved that to favs. so I can return my cartridges as they finish. (my thanks doesn't work from here )

Happy_shopper

Before you get rid of them...I read something on the OS board about putting cheapo vodka / whisky etc. through them - it apparently makes economy spirits taste like premium brands. (Not sure about the 'premium brand' bit, but it did take some of the harshness off my economy vodka!) :beer:

robnye

i sent them an email and this is their response

Thank you for your email received on the 4th October 2006.

The contents of the cartridge are recyclable. Cartridges can be returned to us (preferably 6 at a time) using our freepost address below. From here, the cartridges are returned to the BRITA Head Office in Germany where they are processed in our specially designed recycling plant.

Cartridge recycling is conducted in the following manner:

The company's Recycling Department shreds the cartridges and the filtering material is separated from the plastic case.


The plastic material is pre-cleaned, granulated and supplied to the plastics industry for reuse.


Activated carbon and ion exchangers - the contents of the filtering cartridge - are separated at BRITA by a separating and regenerating line.


The activated carbon is returned to the manufacturer where it is reactivated in special installations or reused for wastewater treatment.


The ion exchangers remain at BRITA where they are subjected to 100% regeneration. At the end of this process, the ion exchanger resin meets all the quality demands that are expected in functional and hygienic terms of new, freshly produced ion exchangers yet without the use of additional raw materials.

Murtle

I hope they don't mind receiving them individually - it would take forever to get 6 and the OH won't be best pleased if my recycling ends up storing rubbish through the place.....