LifeStraw: Water Without the Toxic Stuff

--Karen

If you hike or camp out you may have come across LifeStraw, they specialize in water filtration devices for camping/hiking and now the home.

This is a handy device that allows you to drink out of a river or lake. I have one that I just keep in my backpack. This is actually a straw with a heavy duty filter that filters out all the bad stuff like giardia(parasite), dirt silt, and other bacteria and parasites that you can encounter in river or lake water. This would be great for travel as well. It is light and takes up very little room.

…if only I could get my dog to sip on a straw.

• LifeStraw removes 99.999999% of bacteria (including E.coli, Salmonella), 99.999% of parasites (including Giardia and Cryptosporidium), 99.999% of microplastics, dirt, sand and cloudiness.

• Ultralight and durable, it weighs less than 2 ounces (46 g) so you can pack it anywhere.

• A long-lasting membrane microfilter lasts up to 1,000 gallons (4,000 L) of water - enough drinking water to last an individual for over 5 years!

• The LifeStraw has an unlimited shelf life and has been tested all over the globe to face the harshest conditions.

And they have this gravity bag if you are wanting to store water as well as other drinking containers.

How does it work?

LifeStraw’s membrane microfilters are made of hollow fiber membrane technology – a similar technology used in kidney dialysis. These membranes are made of small straws that contain microscopic pores of 0.2 microns in diameter. Dirty water enters one side of the straws and clean water passes through the pores while bacteria, parasites, microplastics, dirt, silt, sand and cloudiness are blocked and unable to pass through because they are too large.

LifeStraw Activated Carbon Filters improve water taste by removing chemicals such as chlorine and odors. The activated carbon has been treated with specific processes to open millions of tiny pores between carbon atoms. This process works via adsorption, when contaminants become blocked inside the pore structure of the carbon and bind to the surfaces of the fibers. Over time, once all surface areas are full, the carbon filter must be replaced.

I also own the glass pitcher which I use at home.

The shape is elegant and looks great on the counter, but it is also has 2 different filters. The water where I live has been tested and is clean, but it has to travel through water pipes that are still being repaired after a serious flood a few years ago.

• This pitcher removes bacteria, parasites, microplastics, silt, sand, and cloudiness.

• Reduces heavy metals like lead and mercury, chemicals including PFAS, chlorine, pesticides, herbicides, and bad odors for improved taste while retaining essential minerals like magnesium and potassium that are good for your health. 

• Sleek and sustainable design, made from BPA Free plastic or glass. Easy to use and maintain.

• The advanced filtration system protects against chlorine and harmful contaminants for cleaner, better tasting water.

• The membrane microfilter lasts 264 gallons (1 year). The activated carbon + ion exchange filter lasts 40 gallons (2 months).

• Available in 7 cup and 10 cup sizes.

And your purchase will have an impact. They promise one product, one child, one year of safe water.

But what does that mean exactly?

For every 500 products they sell, they distribute a LifeStraw community purifier to a school in need which provides safe water to 100 school children for a period of five years. Put another way, one purchase of any LifeStraw product provides a year of safe water to a child in need, five purchases provide that child with safe water for the next five years.

If you are a little cynical like me, I wondered it they just mailed it and hoped it got there. But LifeStraw operates the entire program. They are uniquely involved in every aspect from planning and school selection, to training, education and follow-up. Their local teams work full-time to ensure transparency and program quality.

They don‘t provide the same product that is purchased through LifeStraw retail; rather, their programs utilize products specifically designed for the context in which they are being used.

Your Purchase Has Global Impact.

By end of 2021, the LifeStraw Give Back Program will reach:

4,652,777 Kids with 1 year of safe water

2,050 Schools

12,238 LifeStraw Community Filters delivered

20,000 + Follow up visits

LifeStraw employs over 40 full-time local staff to implement their Kenyan program. Their staff are from the local areas in which they work, establishing long-term relationships with local communities. They deliver all the trainings and education in local languages and provide year-round follow-up and support. Their programs also work closely with local stakeholders including Ministries of education and health.

Grab a straw to put in your backpack or a pitcher for your counter and enjoy cleaner water.