Recycling matters. And with BRITA, it’s easy.
Most of the earth’s resources are finite. That’s why it makes sense use them thoughtfully and return them to the material cycle if possible. So that's what we do. Since 1992, we have operated a filter cartridge take-back and recycling programm - long before circularity became a global trend. And while avoiding waste completely would be the best option, the good news is: our recycling process is less harmful for the environment than other forms of disposal. For example, returning and recycling a MAXTRA cartridge causes 47% fewer CO₂ emissions than disposing it in household waste that is incinerated in a waste treatment plant. How we know this? Because we asked external experts to look into it for us*.
So if you give back your used cartridges, you can be sure it's for a good reason.
Find out how to recycle your used cartridges below.
*Lifecycle assessments of end-of-life scenarios comparing different return and treatment scenarios by Ramboll using ReCiPe 2016 method, incl. transport (2022).
Information for [italian] customers
The BRITA take-back and recycling programme is currently not available in your country.
However, you're welcome to explore this page to learn more about recycling at BRITA and our efforts to give used filter cartridges a new life.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
Our water filter cartridge recycling process
How exactly do we recycle? Like this.
We’ve been collecting and recycling our household water filter cartridges for more than 30 years. We even run our own recycling center at our headquarters in Germany. Used filter cartridges are collected and returned there. Then the cartridge materials are separated into different processing streams for further use. Some filter materials are even regenerated in‑house and used again in new water filter cartridges – closing the material loop. For our household cartridges this means:
Plastic housing
The plastic housing is shredded and then collected by partner companies. They process the material and grind it into granulate, which can be used to manufacture new plastic components. The mesh in the cartridge housing, which makes up less than 1% of the cartridge weight, is separated and disposed via incineration - it cannot be recycled.
Activated carbon
The activated carbon is returned to our suppliers. For hygenic reasons, we cannot use it again in our own products, but it is reactivated and reused in other filtration processes, for example in wastewater treatment.
Ion exchange beads
The ion exchanger is regenerated in our own facility and can be added to new water filter cartridges. This means that new BRITA water filter cartridges may contain some regenerated ion exchanger – with renewed quality and equal performance.
Recycling BRITA water filter cartridges worldwide
Our take-back and recycling programme is well established in many European countries. Working together with various retail partners, we collect used water filter cartridges and transport them to our headquarters in Germany for recycling. In Asia, we aim to enable the recycling of our water filter cartridges based on local capabilities by working with partner organisations.
Choose one of two ways to join the BRITA recycling programme:
Send your used BRITA water filter cartridges directly back to us. Our customer service team will be happy to provide you with a return label. For more efficiency, ship at least six cartridges per package.
Contact our customer service team:
- Tel.: 0800 500 1919, Mon–Fri, 8:00 am–8:00 pm
- Email: brita@auftragszentrum.de
Take your used BRITA filter cartridges with you when you go shopping and return them at the supermarket.
We work with selected retail partners to make returning filter cartridges as easy as possible.
You will usually find our return boxes at the customer service desk or the recycling return point, where used batteries are also collected.
