PUR and Brita recycling PLUS donating to charity. Brilliant!

If you are one of the many people who use PUR or Brita filters for your water, there is exciting news! Both companies have partnered with TerraCycle to create recycling programs for their

• pitchers
• bottles
• filters
• dispensers
• faucet mounts
• and all packaging

That means all PUR and Brita water filtration products are 100% waste-free! I told you this was exciting news!

But that's not all that's exciting about this program! When you recycle Brita and PUR products, you also support your favorite charities through the TerraCycle's Brigade programs. For every piece of waste you send to TerraCycle, you earn points redeemable for a variety of charitable gifts, product bundles, or monetary donations to the non-profit organization or school of your choice!

Why is this important? Well, for every recyclable water filter you use, you save 300 plastic bottles. Obviously this is a more sustainable choice than buying individual bottles of water. It's also much more cost effective. PUR filtered water costs an average of 3 cents per liter; bottled water runs about 44 cents per liter. That's quite a difference.

Anyone interested in the PUR and Brita recycling programs can click here to sign up. Once you've signed up, you can begin collecting your water filter waste in any cardboard box. When you're ready to ship it, you can download a UPS prepaid shipping label directly from your account and drop the box off at any UPS store or pick-up site. See, they even make it free and easy! 

But let's not stop here. Why not organize a recycling drive at your church or workplace? Just think of all the waste you'll keep out of the landfill and the blessing it will be to whatever charity you choose to benefit from the program? This is exciting stuff, folks!

Throughout 2015, TerraCycle will be rewarding 250 points to the participants of the PUR and Brita Brigade for sending in their first shipment. Using innovative recycling processes, TerraCycle recyles all collected water filter waste into a variety of new plastic products. 

I've blogged about TerraCycle before, because I think they are a terrific company. Founded in 2001, TerraCycle, Inc. is the world's leader in the collection and repurposing of hard-to-recycle post-consumer waste, ranging from used chip bags to coffee capsules to cigarette butts. Yes, even cigarette butts! The waste is collected through free, national, brand-funded platforms called "Brigades," as well as various consumer and government-funded models. The collected waste is reused, upcycled, or recycled into a variety of affordable, sustainable consumer products and industrial applications. Each year, across 21 countries, TerraCycle collects and repurposes billions of pieces of waste, donating millions of dollars to schools and charities in the process. Visit their website to learn more about the PUR and Brita Brigades, as well as the countless other Brigades, including:

• Baby food pouch
• Bare Naked
• Cleaner packaging
• Colgate Oral Care
• Drink pouch
• E-waste
• Energy bar wrapper
• Entenmann's Little Bites Pouch
• Glad Food Storage
• GoGo squeeZ
• Lunch Kit
• MOM Brand cereal bag
• Nespresso capsule
• Open Farm
• Pepsico Recycle Rally
• Personal care and beauty
• Scotch Tape
• Shoe Donation 
• Snack bag
• Solo cup
• The Naked Grape cork
• The Naked Grape wine box
• Tom's of Maine Natural Care
• Wellness pet food
• Writing instruments

It's time to walk the talk. TerraCycle makes it possible for each of us to significantly limit the amount of waste we're putting into the landfill. The train has pulled into the station. All aboard!