Behind The Soma: The Soma Filter

We talk a lot about our Soma filter. We’re proud of it because it was designed to be a better method of water filtration. We set out to make something beautiful, functional, and sustainable. And we did. We know that you know that our filter is a sustainable way to filter great tasting water, but do you know the details? You’ve probably heard that it is made of coconuts and that sounds good for the environment, but do you know what the coconuts do? And what’s a sugarcane casing? Well, we’ll tell you.

Our Soma filter is comprised of two parts, the guts of the filter (which remove contaminants from your tap water) and the casing that holds the guts inside. 

The casing of our filter is made from sugarcane. Unlike most filtration companies who use plastic casings, we use a sugarcane starch as a replacement for the petroleum in plastic to create a plant-based plastic that ultimately biodegrades and has a meaningfully lower environmental impact (and a lower carbon footprint!). It is also free from BPA and Phthalates, which you do not want in your water. Think about how often you need to change your water filter (our recommendation is after 40 gallons, which is about two months for the regular hydrator), if that casing were plastic, you’d be throwing six of them into the plastic problem each year.

The guts are where the coconuts come in. The last few years you may have heard the words “activated charcoal” thrown around in conversations about toothpaste and even post-hangover cures. Well, activated carbon (also called activated charcoal) is a pretty nifty natural resource. Our certified sustainable activated coconut shell carbon is what actually filters your water (well, that and ion exchange – which is responsible for removing metallic elements from your water, like copper). Some activated carbon comes from petroleum and coal, which are dangerously depleting natural resources. Other sources include coconut husks and bamboo, both of which are renewable natural resources, again making our filters easier on the environment.

So now, when someone asks why you swear by Soma, you can explain.