PurePods is a water filtering system that is compatible with existing jugs.

PurePods was designed to eliminate the unnecessary plastic waste that currently occurs every time a filter is changed. We have created a design that consists of a reusable outer casing and a removable fibre-base pouch that contains the filtering medium. Unlike existing disposable solutions, only the pouch needs to be replaced and our plastic casing can be used indefinitely.

This system allows users to continue with their familiar way of filtering water at home: achieving water that is free of microplastics, heavy metals, and has an improved taste.

About Innotrend

Innotrends Ltd is an innovation for mass-scale organization founded at the beginning of 2020 to develop new, unique and easy-to-use direct-to-consumer products. Innotrends’ mission is to lead the next wave of innovative solutions that help reduce the environmental impact of everyday products. Makers Department has partnered with Innotrend to bring the design and engineering expertise required to achieve products that can be easily manufactured in a nowadays complex supply chain.

PurePods is the first of such products we have worked on with Innotrends and it’s currently being sold exclusively on Amazon, where it has collected over 100 reviews and has an average of 4.7 out of 5 stars since its launch in February. This shows how we have successfully used our design thinking and creativity to tackle a complex environmental issue and come up with a commercial solution.

The Process

PurePods was created after noticing how wasteful existing home water filtering solutions were. Every time you want to replace the filter, you have to discard and replace the plastic casing. Although these can sometimes be recycled, they are only accepted in certain stores and use a lot of energy to transport and process the recycling. There are a few other environmentally friendly alternatives out there, but they are often complex and harder to use, require a new jug, and are more expensive. Our aim is to make an environmentally friendly solution that works with existing jugs, are as effective and easy to use as the popular Brita filters, and doesn’t cost the earth!

During the design and development process, we had to overcome several challenges in order to make the product user-friendly and fit within manufacturing constraints. It was essential to design and engineer the fittings for the existing jugs to make the product as universal as possible, and to ensure existing water jugs didn’t get thrown away unnecessarily. This meant we had to work within strict size and form constraints to allow for maximum compatibility.

In order for the filter to function correctly, the cartridge needs to be sealed shut once the pod is inside. We created a simple clipping mechanism for the cartridges so it is easy to remove and replace the filter pods inside, whilst also creating an effective seal when clipped shut. To replace the filter, simply squeeze the cartridge lid together and lift to remove. The old pod can be removed and disposed of in household compost or food waste bins.

Environmental Considerations

We conducted extensive research to achieve single-use pouches that are biodegradable and as environmentally friendly as possible. This resulted in a filter pouch made with a coconut base layer that is fully compostable. This layer is formed to package the filtering medium which is carbon-based and therefore also biodegradable. The current production run does not use the cocunut-based material due to current supply chain challenges, but instead makes use of a recycled synthetic fibre. We are still working closely with the suppliers to achieve our vision using coconut fibre, and aim to achieve it during the last quarter of 2021.

We have considered the environmental impact not only of the product itself, but of the packaging as well. The packaging is completely plastic-free, and the refill pods each come in a biodegradable bag to protect them and keep them fresh. We truly believe PurePods has the potential to improve home water filtering both for the environment and the user.