You purify your tap water with Binchotan, or its Chinese version made of bamboo charcoal, sold under many brands.
Before hearing the screams at the back of the room, here is one of my sources of information, there are many others: “Activated carbon”: does putting binchotan in water make sense? by www.lexpress.fr
Do you think Binchotan is organic?
I feel like answering yes, as much as destroying the Amazonian forests by fire!
Unfortunately, it is oak wood burned at very high temperatures (from 400 to 1200°C) for dozens of hours (up to 15 days!), which will release fine particles, CO2, fumes, and then be transported 10,000 km away, and why not wrapped in aluminized plastic for its preservation.
It will then travel a few thousand kilometers by truck to reach the depot or store before arriving at your home, which is anything but sustainable.
The only organic side (except that you can find it in organic stores…), is that it is easier to recycle than a carafe filter: in the ground, it will decompose.
Oh yes, it’s also prettier.
The ecological alternative to binchotan coal: LaVie
LaVie® UV-A water purifiers operate without filters or maintenance and allow you to purify your tap water in 15 minutes.
They use an innovative, patented technology exclusive to LaVie®: the photolysis of chlorine by UV-A radiation.
This treatment allows the removal of chlorine and its by-products, chemical compounds such as certain pesticides or traces of medication, tastes and odors that can be found in tap water.
The result, very qualitative, allows to draw a definitive line on the consumption of water in plastic bottles.
The carbon footprint associated with the manufacture of the UV water purifier’s aluminum tube is neutralized in a few days of use compared to the equivalent consumption of water in plastic bottles.
Do you think Binchotan activated carbon is effective?
Probably a little, we feel a change in taste, but strangely, no independent scientific study proves it, you said strange?
Only the claims of the manufacturers, it is curious for a food product, which should be controlled before being put on the market.
You think that boiling the Binchotan is enough to regenerate it?
This sterilizes it, but does not regenerate its adsorption capacities, which require a passage in the oven at 1200°C to unblock the pores and make it “activated” again. It is therefore advisable to change it regularly, but no one knows when, nor how long it takes to purify a volume of water. On the other hand, boiling it, as some people recommend once a week, is still greatly increasing its carbon footprint, the choice is yours.
You think Binchotan coal is cheap?
Real Binchotan from Japan (for a 1l jug) costs about 40€ per year, or 200€ every 5 years, which is certainly cheaper than mineral water bottles, but far from being free. Fake, which you can find just about anywhere, is a little cheaper, but it may be chemically activated with uncool products, or it may be badly burned and have residual tar or other unappealing surprises…
But how much water can I produce each day?
Some sources say that the water is perfect after 4 hours (but what do they really know, without measurements?), that makes one liter in the morning, and one liter in the afternoon, possibly one liter more if you think of filling the carafe in the evening, that can be limited for a family, except if you have two carafes. So much wasted space and manipulation.
Conclusion: look around you, there are absolute solutions, scientifically verified and not more expensive, with a real guarantee of non bacterial proliferation: www.lavie.bio
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