Brita

Brita
Private
Industry Water filtration
Founded 1966
Headquarters Taunusstein, Germany
Products Water filters
Revenue €429,000,000 (2015)
Number of employees
 1480 worldwide (2015)
Website https://www.brita.net/
A BRITA kettle, boiling water that has passed from the top reservoir through a filter element (white) into the main jug at the bottom.

BRITA GmbH is a German company founded in 1966 by Heinz Hankammer with headquarters in Taunusstein, Hesse, Germany, that specializes in water filtration products. The company has production facilities in Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.[1] BRITA products are distributed worldwide, reaching more than 60 countries.[2] BRITA products include water jugs, kettles and tap attachments, all of which use silver-impregnated activated carbon and ion-exchange resin disposable filters as their primary filtering mechanism.[3][4] The activated carbon used in BRITA filters is produced from coconut shells.[5] The company manufactures its pitchers from styrene methyl methacrylate copolymer.

In Britain, Hinari manufactures an electric kettle incorporating BRITA technology.

The BRITA filter is not intended to purify water, and should not be used with water that is microbiologically unsafe or of unknown quality. Individuals requiring microbiological purity should follow the advice of local health officials for water purification.

Functions of BRITA Filters

A used BRITA ("MAXTRA" type) water purification filter cross-section. In black are activated charcoal particles. In white are ion-exchange resin beads.

Brita claims the filters have a double action:[6][7]

It is noted that BRITA cartridge is not designed to remove fluoride. While naturally occurring fluoride is present in fresh water, some cities and water companies add sodium fluoride or hydrofluorosilicic acid to their water.[7]

History

BRITA started in 1966 when Heinz Hankammer had the idea of optimizing normal tap water. He named the company after his daughter Brita. Its headquarters are in Taunusstein near Wiesbaden in Germany. In 1988,[8] The Clorox Company, based in Oakland, California, entered in a licensing-and-distribution agreement with the German company for North and South America. In 2000, Clorox acquired the sole rights to the brand in North America and BRITA agreed to a non-compete clause until 2005. In 2008, BRITA returned to the North American market under the brand Mavea.[9]

Social responsibility

In autumn 2010, BRITA’s United Kingdom branch collaborated with fashion designer Orla Kiely to support the Breast Cancer Care Charity, which provides professional support and expert information to those affected by breast cancer. The partnership released a limited-edition Hydration Pack containing a water filter jug, three filter cartridges; and a reusable water bottle designed by Kiely and made of 100 percent recycled materials. For every pack sold, BRITA donated £1 to the Breast Cancer Care Charity.[10] The owner of BRITA, Markus Hankammer, is the chairman of German 3rd Liga club SV Wehen Wiesbaden. When Heinz Hankammer was the owner, he promised them that if they were promoted to the 2.Fußball-Bundesliga he would build them a new stadium in Wiesbaden. They did, and hence the BRITA-Arena was built. BRITA is sponsored all over the stadium as well as on the shirt. Markus Hankammer is now the chairman, as his father, Heinz Hankammer, retired.

BRITA's FilterForGood campaign partnered with artists such as Jason Mraz to encourage fans, as well as artists and crew members, to reduce bottled water waste.[11] The centerpiece of BRITA’s campaign is free filtered water for fans and the local volunteer and community service outreach projects and environmental organizations. BRITA’s FilterForGood Campaign inspired more than 374,000 people to take a pledge to reduce their bottled water waste, keeping an estimated 381 million disposable water bottles out of landfills.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Facts & figures. BRITA GmbH. 2010.
  2. ↑ "BRITA | Company | More than 40 Years of Excellence". BRITA. Archived from the original on 2014-07-10.
  3. ↑ What ingredients are found in a BRITA Pitcher Filter?
  4. ↑ Brita - FAQ - jugs & cask
  5. ↑ What ingredients are found in a BRITA Pitcher Filter? Archived December 20, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ↑ "BRITA business divisions | Drinking water filtration". BRITA UK. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  7. 1 2 "BRITA Customer service | Questions on products and water filtration". BRITA UK. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  8. ↑ HBS case 9-500-024, Jan 15th 2002, Page 1
  9. ↑ Carr, Coeli (2010-05-20). "Pouring It On". TIME.com. Retrieved 2012-11-15.
  10. ↑ Mattu, J. (2010, October 7). BRITA and Orla Kielys hot pink collaboration. Retrieved from "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-01-15. Retrieved 2010-10-29.
  11. ↑ Jason Mraz Teams Up With Brita® FilterForGood® Music Project to Reduce Bottled Water Waste on North American Tour. Market Wire. 15 August 2012. Retrieved from http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/jason-mraz-teams-up-with-britar-filterforgoodr-music-project-reduce-bottled-water-waste-1691295.htm
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