these biodegradable caps transform any PET bottle into a portable water filtration system

biodegradable filter caps make clean drinking water accessible

In Colombia, about 3.7 million people lack access to clean and safe drinking water, a situation worsened by a devastating drought in 2024. Many of these people live in remote areas, where they endure extreme heat, and the limited water available is often contaminated. Ogilvy Colombia joins Filsa Water, the Colombian Red Cross, and Baylor International to provide an immediate solution for the world’s water crisis. Transforming the universal bottle cap into a powerful water filtration system, the 3D printed device allows safe water to be purified as it flows through, increasing the pH, adding hydrogen, reducing impurities by 70%, and eliminating 90% of heavy metals.

all images courtesy of Ogilvy Colombia

a water filtration system for disaster relief in colombia

The Filter Cap is envisioned as a vital tool in humanitarian efforts and disaster relief. It offers an accessible way to purify water, serving as a portable treatment plant especially effective in areas where clean water is scarce or unavailable. By simply attaching the device to a standard PET bottle, users can have access to safe drinking water, thus reducing the risk of waterborne diseases and improving overall health and well-being.

Compact and lightweight, each Filter Cap weighs just 24 grams, serving as a portable treatment plant that can be easily distributed to even the most remote and underserved populations. For its production, 3D additive technology was utilized, composed of a mix of minerals, metals, and natural extracts, making it accessible, affordable, cost-effective. Designed to be environmentally responsible, the water filtration system also promotes the reuse of plastic bottles, while its casing is also 3D printed from cornstarch-based resin and can be composted after use.

Filsa Water, Ogilvy Colombia , Baylor International, and the Colombian Red Cross provide a solution for the water crisis

Filter Caps attach onto any standard PET bottle

water is purified as it flows through the cap

a portable treatment plant especially effective in areas where clean water is scarce or unavailable

capable of reclaiming over 300,000 liters of water in just two months

it increases water’s pH, adds hydrogen, reduces impurities by 70%, and eliminates 90% of heavy metals

compact and lightweight, each Filter Cap weighs just 24 grams

the water filtration system is 3D printed from cornstarch-based resin and compostable after use

the team utilized 3D additive technology composed of a mix of minerals, metals, and natural extracts

project info:

name: Filter Caps

designer: Ogilvy Colombia, Filsa Water, Baylor International, The Colombian Red Cross

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edited by: ravail khan | designboom