WaterBean Filter Purifies Tap Water

We at Techbeat like our water filtering products and we believe the world can never have enough of them. This new system, called the WaterBean, is an interesting concept in that its goal is to purify tap water AND to reduce plastic bottle waste.

Most water filters, such as the NDūR Survival Straw, are designed to filter out bacteria, dirt, micro-organisms and other potentially dangerous substances out of water. And it is this feature that makes them ideal for use in areas that don’t have access to clean water, including in developing countries.

The WaterBean, however, is designed more for urban consumers that have access to running water all the time, but the water is not pure or clean enough to be drinkable. These consumers will buy and drink bottled water, which generates tons of plastic bottle waste every year.  It is believed U.S. consumers spend up to $15 billion on bottled water every year.

According to the manufacturer of the filter, Graeme Glen, an average person goes through 167 bottles per year. This generates 1.5 million tons of waste per year, since three quarters of plastic bottles do not actually get recycled.

But the WaterBean can be a solution to this problem, as it is designed to encourage users to keep and reuse one plastic bottle for a long time. The system may not have the same purification power as other filters on the market, but it is effective against chlorine, odors and bad taste and also adds magnesium to the water.

The filter is very easy to use: after being inserted in the bottle, users are advised to shake the bottle for five seconds and then swirl the water gently around for a while, the idea being that the longer you swirl, the better the water will taste.

The WaterBean filters are made of coconut carbon fibers which are safe to be ingested. Each filter lasts about three months and can clean about 140 liters of water, thus having the potential to prevent up to 280 bottles from ending up in the landfill ever year.

Glen is currently running a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo for the product, aiming to raise $35,000. Backers can get one WaterBean plus two extra filters if they pledge as little as $12. Check out the video below to find out more about how the WaterBean filter works.

[Image via Inhabitat]