What To Consider When Choosing a Glass Water Filter Jug

Yes you can, but this glass water filter jug isn't the way to do it. It can be done using binchotan charcoal sticks which take several hours to absorb the contaminants in the water, and it can be done with a ceramic benchtop water filter with a ceramic filter inside (although they do have a very small amount of plastic on the mount that holds the cartridge in place), but at the end of the day, filter cartridges are usually housed in plastic, including the filters that go with this jug. And we do not see this an issue.

For a more in depth look at this subject, read our blog post Is It Possible To Filter Water Without Plastic.

The glass water filter jug from Eco Bud removes up to 98% of the fluoride in your drinking water along with the regular list of contaminants that your standard water filters remove. Cartridge swaps and jug set up are quick and easy with each cartridge lasting up to 3 months or 600 litres of water, whatever comes first.  If you like drinking from a glass water bottle, then choosing a glass water jug is a nice pairing. A digital timer on the lid tells you when it's time to replace your cartridge too.

We have been selling water bottles online since May 2009. Back when we first started, bpa in hard plastics called polycarbonate were common place, especially in baby bottles. BPA is a chemical that has been scientifically proven to be an endocrine disruptor. The industry has self-regulated this chemical out of water bottles, baby bottles and most food containers, however it can still be found in thermal printed receipts and in the lining of most canned food sold in Australia.

Years ago now, we consulted with Australian expert Nicole Bijlsma, author of the book Healthy Home Healthy Family (click on the image to purchase) and asked her about the use of plastic around food and drink. From her years of research, Nicole informed us that plastic becomes vulnerable in extremes of temperatures. Any time you use heat (whether it's the microwave, the dishwasher or just letting a plastic water bottle sit in the sun for extended periods of time) or extreme cold (the freezer), plastic is more likely to break down and leach in to your food. In some circumstances, if the surfaces are rough and peeling from excessive dishwasher cleaning, they can be difficult to keep clean.

Using a plastic filter cartridge in a glass water filter jug or even a plastic one for that matter does not put it in the situation where it's put through extremes of heat. Water filters should not spend time in the sun. Regardless of whether it's a benchtop or a jug, regardless of the brand, leave a water filter in the sun for long enough and your cartridge will go mouldy. You may not even know it to start off with as the mould will only be on the inside, but this is a serious health issue and should be avoided at all costs.

But I digress. The best way to use a water filter jug, whether it's a glass base or a plastic one, is to run water through it regularly so water isn't sitting in it for too long. If you are not a fan of water and plastic touching for anything more than a short few minutes, line up your water bottles and fill them all at once and store your water in the bottles and not the jug. We don't think this is necessary, we feel that water sitting in your jug, with the plastic cartridges and plastic inner is perfectly fine for a day.

Most plastic water filter juts are not particularly attractive plonked in the middle of a table at dinner. The glass jug without the funnel and the lid is an attractive shape in its own right. (pictured above). There is a small hollowed out section in the handle where the funnel clips in to place, but it's not totally out of place. When you're done filtering your water, the jug can be used on its own.

For the reasons stated above about the safety of plastic and water without extremes of heat, and due to the plastic funnel and filter cartridges, most manufacturers don't feel it's necessary. We're glad that Eco Bud did, as it provides options for those trying to reduce plastic. Glass will last you a lifetime, unless you break it, so the fragility of a glass jug has a bearing on manufacturing costs, packaging materials, transport and storage. Since most water filter jugs are low cost and sold in supermarkets and budget department stores, it's an easier sell to have a sturdy plastic jug than a glass one. The Eco Bud glass water filter jug is a welcome alternative in our store.