Bamboo Charcoal Water Filter

Adding bamboo charcoal to your drinking water will help remove impurities and improve taste. No more plastic bottles or filters. No more waste.

Throw your used charcoal into the compost, garden and potted plants to reduce trash and add vital nutrients to the soil.

How To Use:

1. Rinse new charcoal, boil for 5 minutes, and dry in the sun.
2. Add to a one-liter of tap water. We recommend 3 pieces per liter of water. Add more pieces for larger containers.
3. Let stand for 1 hour and drink! Your charcoal should last around 4 weeks depending on quality of your tap water.

One order contains 100 grams of 100% bamboo charcoal and should last about 3 months. 

Note: Pieces may vary in size and shape because they are hand cut by artisans.

WHY BAMBOO CHARCOAL

Bamboo charcoal is made using bamboo that is already a waste product, culled from Japanese forests to protect grove and forest health. Thus, it is much more sustainable than binchotan charcoal which is often made from the ubame oak tree.

Our bamboo charcoal is not activated with chemicals. Instead, high heat is used (800 degrees Celsius) to carbonize. This is good news! It means you can compost your bamboo charcoal when it’s finished. Unlike activated charcoal, which often requires a chemical process before carbonization. 

How long does bamboo charcoal last?

Follow this formula: 3 pieces per liter of water for 4 weeks. All tap water is different. Some impurities like chloramine have a stronger taste than solids or even pesticides. When the chloramine taste comes back, you know it's time to change your bamboo charcoal. But what about other impurities? That's why we recommend replaying your bamboo charcoal every 4 weeks to ensure maximum adsorption. 

How does bamboo charcoal remove impurities from tap water? 

Bamboo charcoal's porous surface area adsorbs tap water and airborne impurities. If carbonized at high heat, tests indicate that bamboo charcoal removes chlorine, chloride, phosphorus, ammonia, toluene (alcohol), nitrogen, chloramine (ammonia and chlorine compound added to water to kill pathogens), and even toxins like pesticides that can seep into tap water. Bamboo charcoal adsorbs solids and gases, but not pathogens, so we don't recommend relying on bamboo charcoal to filter creek water while hiking. 

Compared to wooden charcoal, bamboo charcoal has high adsorptive power and contains many mineral components (especially magnesium, potassium, calcium and silicic acid). The surface area of bamboo charcoal is 300 square meter per gram and the adsorption power is ten times that of wooden charcoal. 

A test conducted by the Division of Forest Management (Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan) in 2004, found that the pH value of bamboo charcoal-purified water changes from acidic to alkaline when bamboo is carbonized at a high heat. The study found that the surface area for volatile organic compound (VOC) adsorption is maximized at 800 degrees Celsius, which is the heat that we use for carbonizing Miyabi Bamboo Charcoal. In addition, the study stated that the "best" carbonizing temperature for reducing residual chlorine in tap water was 800 degrees Celsius. 

Does bamboo charcoal add anything to tap water? 

Yes! Bamboo charcoal leaches minerals like magnesium, silicone, silicic acid* and calcium into your tap water as it adsorbs impurities. You are making your own mineral water! Filter systems like reverse osmosis removes everything from water - even the good minerals. If you have a home filtration system, make sure to add bamboo charcoal to your drinking water so you don't miss these essential minerals. You might see trace amounts of bamboo charcoal in your tap water - this residue is packed with nutrients, so enjoy! 

Miyabi Charcoal has been featured in Popular Science Magazine, recommended by Zero-Waste Chef and Clean Living Guide and mentioned in Santa Barbara Magazine.

End of Life: 

Toss used bamboo charcoal  into a garden, potted plant, or compost when finished. Recycle the paper packaging.