Looking for eco-friendly water filter alternatives

First off, every filtering method has some waste.

Second, why are you filtering? Just concern about sediment or the chlorine? If that's the case, get a simple under the sink filter with a 5 micron activated carbon filter and have a separate water spigot for drinking water on the sink to maximize the life of the filter (ie you don't want to filter dishwater). The filters are good 3,700 L where a standard Brita type filter is only good for 150 or so L. The cost is only about $100 if you install it yourself.

And one more thing, since it's an active carbon filter, the majority of the filter (except for the small plastic caps and mesh covering the body of the filter) is just active carbon (or charcoal) which is completely natural.

Thanks! My concern is primarily taste and odor but also risk minimization for other contaminants such as heavy metals and microplastics.

MagnusJ26706 wrote: ↑ Thanks! My concern is primarily taste and odor but also risk minimization for other contaminants such as heavy metals and microplastics.

Those pitcher filters aren't going to do much about heavy metals and microplastics... Depending on where you get your water from (ie river, mountain reservoir, well...), you may be worrying too much. If you are that concerned, get your water professionally tested so you know what you are dealing with first and then buy the filter to address it.

The same under the sink system can still work for everything you listed - you just have to get a finer mesh filter that does things like VOCs, lead,... Of course, that will mean that the filter won't last as long as there's probably more non-organic material in the filter in order to do it's job.

MagnusJ26706 wrote: ↑ Thanks! My concern is primarily taste and odor but also risk minimization for other contaminants such as heavy metals and microplastics.

If you are so concerned ... first you should be filtering the air you breathe. Just look at the dirt and other crap you are breathing into your lungs.

You'd better stock up on refillable oxygen tanks and recyclable masks!

hahahahahaha .... such a joke!

BTW, you drive to work? If you do, I suggest you change to walking. The fumes from vehicles will kill you faster than drinking unfiltered water.

True but it's all about risk reduction. For example I avoid driving if I can, use a seatbelt when I drive a car, helmet when I'm on a bicycle and live outside of the city to avoid pollution. I also want to protect my newborn baby who is more sensitive to contaminants than adults. According to EPA and CDC there is no safe level of lead for infants and young children.

With regards to microplastics we don't know the impact on humans yet. We do know that it's harmful for microorganisms and fish and they've even been shown to penetrate the braincells of animals.

If a water filter can reduce the risk of harm to the body a bit then I think it could be worthwhile?

MagnusJ26706 wrote: ↑ True but it's all about risk reduction. For example I avoid driving if I can, use a seatbelt when I drive a car, helmet when I'm on a bicycle and live outside of the city to avoid pollution. I also want to protect my newborn baby who is more sensitive to contaminants than adults. According to EPA and CDC there is no safe level of lead for infants and young children.

With regards to microplastics we don't know the impact on humans yet. We do know that it's harmful for microorganisms and fish and they've even been shown to penetrate the braincells of animals.

If a water filter can reduce the risk of harm to the body a bit then I think it could be worthwhile?

I think it comes to reasonable risk reduction and the cost of those reductions. If the cost is high for a questionable reduction. then you can argue that the money is better spent on lower cost/higher reduction solutions.

Going with your original idea of moving from pitched filtered water to under-sink filtered water will at least give you the same level of filtering but at a much lower long term cost (both in money and throwing away those small filters). It also gives you flexibility to move to a finer filter if needed.