Ahlstrom’s Disruptor® water filtration solution: Good for us, good for the planet

Mar 22, 2023
Ahlstrom’s Disruptor® water filtration solution: Good for us, good for the planet

On World Water Day (22 March), we’re celebrating the role our water filtration solution plays in making water both safe and sustainable.

Bottled water. For the most part, it’s readily available, convenient to carry, and, crucially, safe to drink.

But at what cost?

Around the world, 1 million single-use plastic bottles are purchased every minute. That’s almost 1.5 billion every single day.

While recycling systems for plastic bottles are constantly developing, many of these bottles end up in landfill.

So, how do we ensure clean and safe drinking water for everybody and combat the ever-growing mountain of single-use plastic bottles? Through sustainable water filtration solutions.

A safe and sustainable solution

Ahlstrom, a global leader in fiber-based materials, has developed a revolutionary water filtration solution that ensures our water is safe and sustainable.

Jan Kaukopaasi, Product Manager for Liquid Filtration at Ahlstrom, explained: “Traditional filtration products typically rely on mechanical filtration to capture harmful pathogens. But some bacteria are so small that they still get through.

“Ahlstrom’s Disruptor® is an electro-adsorptive technology. It uses an electrical charge to remove very small pathogens, like E.coli and Legionella, from the water, while ensuring the healthy minerals that are good for us remain.”

This single-source approach to purification is also the most sustainable. “It avoids the need for manufacturers to include an additional system to reintroduce those vital minerals back into the drinking water. Plus, it has very low energy consumption, and a long lifespan covering thousands of fills,” he continued.

Due to its pleated structure, Disruptor® is highly adaptable to a wide range of end uses. It can be made into virtually any size filter cartridge, meaning it’s suitable for small personal hydration devices as well as larger residential point-of-entry and point-of-use applications.

“So, whether your company makes water bottles or household water filters, fridge pitchers or kitchen taps, the flexible media in the Disruptor® can flex to fit your product,” Jan said. “It works as a stand-alone format or in combination with other water purification technologies, such as Carbon Blocks.”

And greater application means a wider supply of safe water, with less reliance on single-use water bottles. Additionally, Ahlstrom’s Disruptor® water filtration solutions is yet another example of the company’s plastic reduction commitment known as ‘from Plastic to Purpose’ which aims at raising awareness on the multiple possibilities of fiber-based solutions as a renewable fossil-based plastic replacement option in the marketplace.

Making a global impact

“Companies the world over know that they need to transition to sustainable solutions – and fast,” says Jan. “We’re seeing a huge increase in brands enquiring about the Disruptor® technology – from start-ups to household names.

“These brands know that their end consumers are increasingly concerned about single-use plastic pollution and will shop elsewhere if they’re not able to offer more sustainable solutions.

“At the same time, consumers are also expecting their appliances to offer great taste and convenience. So, these solutions need to be safe, sustainable, and desirable.”

With Disruptor®, brands can create products that meet all these requirements – whether the target customer is a European mountain hiker who wants to drink water collected from a stream; an American restaurant chain that needs pitchers with an excellent flow rate; or an Asian property developer installing whole-house water filters.

For Jan, this is a really exciting time for the water filtration industry, which has the power to affect huge change, widening access to safe drinking water while at the same time reducing humanity’s reliance on single-use plastics.

“At Ahlstrom, our purpose is to purify and protect, with every fiber, for a sustainable world. I am really excited about Disruptor®. It’s a product that showcases our purpose in action. It’s good for us, and good for the planet.”

If you think Disruptor® could be a good fit for your business, contact Jan.Kaukopaasi@ahlstrom.com.