What to do With Old Water Filters?

Water filtering systems are getting more and more popular each day. Many people get them to make sure the water they use in their household is of good quality and is safe even for the most immunocompromised members of the family: kids and elders.

With the number of contaminants and toxins in our water, it’s safe to say that you really need to test the tap water you use before you use it in all rooms of your household. 

However, there are many articles that talk about the usage of water filters, how to get them, which ones to get, how to install them or use them, and more. No articles ever say much about what to do when you use up a water filter… Do you throw them away? Can you recycle them? Is there a possibility to reuse them in some way?

Let’s talk about that.

How to know when you need to change the filter?

Depending on the manufacturer, each filter has a way to „tell you“ that the filtering process is no longer effective. Sometimes it’s a LED light, sometimes it’s a sticker than you need to keep an eye on, and sometimes you will see the number of gallons that can go through and you need to do the math yourself.

It all just depends on what product you got, honestly. Some filters have the ability to produce a sound when they are inefficient, but you’ll rarely run into a premium product like that. In the end, you can always rely on the good old taste test, but this can be inefficient if you’re subjective.

What if I don’t change my filter?

If you don’t change your filter, you’re losing all of the positive things that you gained with the filter. Your water will be contaminated again, it will have the old taste, it will be full of all of the bacteria, minerals, chemicals and other stuff that you were trying to get rid of.

Besides that, the contaminants that clogged up the filter will be a great surface for bacteria and other bad things to develop. This way you can also get mold and other bad stuff happening. Replacing the filter will remove all of the above-mentioned risks.

What to do with old filters?

It is important that you displace your filters in a proper way, without creating any trouble for yourself or the environment. It’s important to note that most filters have replacement cartridges, so we’re talking about them as well.

• Reuse. Some filters are made to be reused and they can be DIY’d into working like a charm again. Keep in mind that not all filters are made to be reused and that their efficiency can be affected. 
• Recycle. There are manufacturers out there that let you send the empty cartridges to them so they can completely reuse them! Sometimes you can even get a small discount for your next purchase. If you can’t send the filters back to the manufacturer, make sure to see what materials the filters are made of and you can recycle them in proper manner.
• Throw them away. This is not eco-friendly at all and we don’t advise this option, but if you have nothing else to do with the filter, you can throw it away or just reuse the parts for something.

You can also contact the seller or the manufacturer and ask them if they have any information that could benefit you. Most will let you know how you can recycle or reuse a specific product.

Summary

When you use up your water filters, make sure to do the right decision and not just throw them away! It’s important to be very conscious of the environment and therefore you should either reuse or recycle your filters! If you’re not sure about the decision, contact the manufacturer and they’ll give you their advice on how to handle the situation since they know the materials the best.