Creative Ways to Reuse Carbon from Grow Room Filters
As seen in most markets today, growers and equipment manufacturers in the plant growing industry are constantly looking for ways to reduce their environmental impacts. Following this need for sustainability, we've released a line of refillable carbon filters. With this revolutionary new product, plant growers like you no longer need to dispose of filters when they become saturated with impurities.
The environmental benefits of our refillable carbon filters go beyond lessening the need to purchase new equipment. In fact, you can actually repurpose used carbon from these filters for practical tasks around your home and garden.
Composting Aid
One of the most popular applications for used carbon is that of a composting aid. Since carbon is known for its porosity, it enhances the aeration of compost and promotes decomposition - while also reducing foul odors coming from the mix. Using carbon in your compost will lead to a more uniform and efficient breakdown of materials, making the whole process quicker and more predictable.
Cleaning Agent
Carbon has long been used by oil manufacturers as a tool for cleaning up oil spills in large bodies of water. Instead of absorbing impurities like paper towels might, carbon uses a process known as “adsorption.” With adsorption, “polluting chemicals adhere to the surface of a solid,” so they are easily removed without affecting the solid compound itself. As such, keeping used carbon on hand in your garage is a great way to clean up spilled oil or other dangerous compounds.
Soil Amendment
Due to its unique porosity and composition, carbon is also an extremely popular soil amendment for horticulture. In fact, soil manufacturers make a similar product known as “biochar” by heating organic compounds to high temperatures without allowing them to combust. Since carbon is porous and light, it allows air to easily pass to the root zones of plants, thus keeping them from getting waterlogged. Carbon also absorbs nutrients and slowly releases them over time, giving your plants a consistent source of food.
Water Filtration
Another interesting DIY application for used carbon is to make a water filter. Whether it be an emergency filter for drinking water or a way to further purify the irrigation water for your garden, DIY filters are easy to make. To start with, add the carbon to a tube or piece of pipe and seal it on each end with a fine screen. Next, simply let water drip through the carbon into a catchment container on the other end. With this easy setup, you can remove chlorine, sediment, and other unwanted compounds from your drinking and irrigation water.
Our refillable carbon filters help reduce the environmental impact of indoor plant growing, while also saving you money on new equipment. With these easy-to-use systems, you will never have to purchase another carbon filter again.
The charcoal fan filter kit also includes 1+ refill, making it as efficient as two standard inline carbon filters - while also proving more affordable. Refillable Carbon Filters are available in 4-in, 6-in, and 8-in sizes. Activated carbon refills are also available in 8-lb, 16-lb, and 32-lb bags for you to sustainably filter the air in your grow tent.
Carbon has a useful life, but that does not necessarily mean every spent filter component has to become waste. Looking at how carbon is handled after use also puts the filter into the larger context of a grow tent's airflow, filtration, and equipment choices. That bigger picture is where grow tents and grow tent kits fit in, with ultimate grow tent guide and inline fans helping connect the space to ventilation and lighting.
