The Best Sustainable, Zero Waste & Circular Air Filter: My Briiv Review 18 Months On
This post was sponsored by Briiv, all thoughts my own.
With people around the world growing increasingly conscious of the links between climate breakdown and health, the current quality of air is a key conversation we need to be having. Good air quality is associated with healthy, happy environments including better sleep, higher energy levels and improved cognitive function. But pollutants in air are a key factor in many serious diseases and premature deaths globally.
Here’s what you need to know, and the most eco-friendly, plastic-free and circular air filter on the market trying to help us clean our indoor spaces.
The current state of air pollution
WHO data show that almost all of the global population (99%) breathe air that exceeds WHO guideline limits and contains high levels of pollutants. In 2021, 97% of the urban population was exposed to concentrations of fine particulate matter above WHO guideline levels, while household air pollution was responsible for an estimated 3.2 million deaths per year in 2020, including over 237,000 deaths of children under 5.
Household air pollution exposure also leads to diseases including stroke, ischaemic heart disease, COPD and lung cancer, while the combined effects of ambient air pollution and household air pollution are associated with 6.7 million premature deaths annually.
Much of worldwide indoor air pollution comes from cooking using open fires or stoves fuelled by kerosene, biomass and coal combined with poor ventilation. However, high levels of pollution also come from petroleum-based industrial and household products, particularly in the Global North. Aerosols, cleaners, paints, glues, hairspray, perfumes, deodorants, candles, and moulds can all produce particulate matter and significant indoor air pollution.
A plastic-free, sustainable solution
Enter Briiv, the sustainable, plastic-free air filter that I’ve had for around 18 months now. Conventional filters usually need to be replaced every 6-8 months and can’t be recycled, leading to an estimated 6000 tonnes of HEPA filters being sent to landfill annually. But Briiv is made with natural, biodegradable and recyclable alternatives. Its three layers filter the air naturally, improving the air quality in a 36m² (387ft²) living space in just one hour.
They’re comprised of:
- Sustainably sourced moss: naturally dried moss captures large particulate matter like dust and pollen from the air.
- Coconut: sourced from the outer husk of the nut, this traps harmful substances such as bacteria and mould spores.
- Bespoke nano matrix filter: made from a pleated spun glass material, this filter contains activated carbon sourced from waste walnut shells which removes odours and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air.
Air is pulled in through each of these layers, capturing air particles of varying sizes. Briiv uses fewer plastics than any other air purifier on the market, instead utilising a new bio-plastic derived from rice husks which is a waste by-product from agricultural crops. It’s also completely manufactured in the UK, drastically reducing the product’s carbon footprint, providing jobs to local communities and allowing the team to oversee quality and good working conditions.
Removing Designed Obsolescence
In one of my favourite parts of the process, you can also send your Briiv back if you don’t want it anymore. The team will turn it into a new Briiv, so it can continue its life somewhere else, committing to a more circular practice within consumer electronics.
Briiv is made in a way that it can be dismantled and serviced, or any parts that age or break accidentally over time can be repaired with ease. So you can keep your Briiv running far into the future.
My experience so far
Costing just £3.60 per year to run, my Briiv is as powerful as over 3000 size houseplants with no maintenance needed (no watering of moss required) It makes a very low noise, so doesn’t bother me when I run it in the background, and it also comes with an app if you want to control it from afar. I combine mine with regularly opening my windows for air flow through my flat, and I love how easy it is to move to different rooms if you only have one. I often use it in the kitchen after cooking to absorb smells and smoke (which it does incredibly well!), or in my bedroom before sleeping. It’s efficient, easy and cheap, which is perfect for an air filter. Beyond this, I also love how it looks. The design is inspired by the British countryside, highlighting natural colours, textures and materials of the outdoor world. My home is generally filled with pastel colours, bright decor and houseplants, so the terrarium-style aesthetics and moss greens fit perfectly in my world of pink, yellow and blue tones. It keeps my air clean without adding extra fuss to my life, but also works as a unique and beautiful piece of decor too. I always get asked about it, and have even had friends who were looking for air filters get one themselves since visiting. I love it and look forward to using it for many more years to come.
The future: Briiv Pro
Now, Briiv is also crowdfunding the new Briiv Pro, the next design development for eco-friendly air purifying. It comes with AI-powered sensors for effective air monitoring, and can clean a 4x4m² space in just 21 minutes. These sensors enable Canary mode, which automatically senses poor air quality and cleans your space when it’s needed, and Zone mode, which connects and controls multiple Briiv units to look after larger homes. It’s still easy to maintain, with natural filters lasting a year and a removable main filter lasting three months, which the app also tracks to provide real-time alerts. You can also add essential oils for a personalised touch, removing pollutants from your home to provide better sleep, higher energy levels and improved cognitive function through good air quality and replacing them with the scent of your choice.
Briiv Pro is 6900% more effective than house plants at cleaning air, while the layers of the filter remain low waste and home compostable. Thanks to an all-new fan designed to run quietly, Briiv Pro can also work while you’re asleep, quietly cleaning away in the background on your bedside table for a better night’s sleep. Plus, this design uses Yorkshire Sphagnum moss that grows in most gardens around the world, and can be washed and dried for reuse, but you’re also welcome to pick your own garden moss and allow it to dry in Briiv so you can grow your own filter! At the end of its life it can be composted at home, making Briiv the only filter in the world that lets you do this.
As a longtime owner I can definitely recommend Briiv, and I know the friends in my life who have one love it too.