How to filter your water the plastic free-ish way!

A few years ago I was given some Bamboo Charcoal to review. I thought it was a great alternative to plastic water filter cartridges and jugs, as it wasn’t made of plastic and once it has finished being useful for filtering water it can be used as a dehumidifer – I keep some in small bowls in my kitchen cupboards to help keep the air in them dry. Then when it has totally had it, it is compostable. It does come in a plastic bag which is a shame, but comparatively there is less plastic involved than the cartridges.
It is more expensive than these 6 pack universal water filter cartridges  – they are currently £11.79 for 6, with each cartridge lasting a month, with the bamboo charcoal coming in at £13.49 (inc p&p) for 8 pieces with 3-4 pieces needed per litre of water and lasting 2 months, which means it lasts 4-6 months for £13.49 vs 6 months for £11.79. That’s not a massive price difference to pay to filter your water a more natural way when averaged out over a year and if you are used to buying the branded versions then you will probably save money.
The only downside to the charcoal is that it is a bit more fiddly than the plastic water filters. You have to leave it in a jug of water for 8 hours before the water is filtered and you have to sterilise it in boiling water once a week. 
After using it for some time I found that it was fine in the winter as I didn’t need loads of water immediately. I made sure I was ahead of myself by always having a couple of reusable bottles of pre-filtered water available. In the summer though it got a lot trickier as I got a lot thirstier and couldn’t keep up with the demand for water. 
I got given some water filters and cartridges by friends and relatives having a clear out and have found that it is much easier to use them in the summer and the bamboo charcoal in the winter. It isn’t a perfect solution, but it is a good compromise! For more info read my original bamboo charcoal review.
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Comments

  1. Bob

    These seem amazing! I'm not sure how they actually filter the water though? Does the water flow through them somehow? Or do they just stay dunked in it like some giant tea bag?

  2. Zoe

    Yes it just stays dunked! Apparently it absorbs the impurities from the water into it and that is why it can't be used indefinitely.

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