Staying on top of your water drinking habits is vital. Whilst everyday life often gets in the way of hitting that coveted eight-glass-a-day target, investing in a water filter remains one of the best ways to wholeheartedly enjoy the hydration experience.

Here we take a closer look at the filtered experience, including why drinking filtered water is better for you, what it’s like to own and use a drinking water filter system, and how to recycle your old water filters.

Should I go filtered?

The humble water filter and your wider drinking water filter system unlocks a simple route to better tasting water. The resulting drink is free from the impurities and odours that deter many individuals from reaching for a glass of water.

It’s also extremely affordable with drinking water filter systems able to produce a litre of filtered water for as little as 3p.

The convenience of filtering water at home is also second to none. You can even bottle your filtered water using a reusable container to enjoy on the go.

How easy is it to use a filter system?

Drinking water filter systems are very easy to use and maintain. As well as being easy to install, users can enjoy high-quality drinking water for the long term thanks to the minimal maintenance involved in owning and using a drinking water filter system.

Maintenance wise, all you have to do is change your filter periodically to harness the benefits of high quality drinking water. While when you change your water filter depends on the quality of water that passes through and the type of filter you’re using, what to do with your old, used filters is a conundrum many filtered water drinkers face.

What should I do with my old filters?

The problem with water filters is that no local authorities in the UK will accept them, whether that’s kerbside with your weekly bin collection or at your nearest household waste recycling centre.

With recycling at the top of many individuals’ and business’ agendas these days, it’ll come as no surprise that many water filter recycling schemes exist here in the UK.

A vast number of Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Robert Dyas, Waitrose, John Lewis and Argos stores based nationwide have their own dedicated water filter recycling stations where you can drop off your water filters for recycling.

These recycling schemes separate the filter into parts, and components are reused or recycled to minimise the impact on the planet.

Selected manufacturers also offer their own recycling service so contact your manufacturer directly to enquire.

What’s the future of filtration?

Plastic pollution is a real issue around the world yet consumption, particularly for disposable plastics, remains high as this study found:

“Some 93% of the plastic he used in a year was single-use packaging, and two thirds was used to package, wrap and consume food, the Everyday Plastic report by Mr Webb and researcher Dr Julie Schneider shows. Some 70% was not currently recyclable, the report estimates.

Based on national collection rates of recyclable material, only 10% of the plastic he got through in a year would be recycled, with just 4% recycled at UK recycling facilities and the rest exported. The remaining plastic waste would be sent to landfill or burned.”

There’s been a great call to go plastic-free within the water filtration industry – especially when it comes to the more traditional pitcher-based water filters.

Experts are still working on plastic-free or zero-waste solutions that really work for customers and the planet.