Alb Filter - A technology company of the Swabian Alb
We, Benjamin Maywald, Patrick Leichtenstern and Tobias Müller - two computer scientists and a graduate engineer from southwest Germany - are the founders and owners of the drinking water filter supplier Blaufaktor GmbH & Co. KG and the Alb Filter brand.
Already during our studies the idea matured in us to deal with drinking water treatment and water filters. Driven by the poor water quality in our shared dormitory, we realized the central importance of clean and hygienic drinking water in everyday life. From own experience such a vision became.
In times of climate change and population growth, clean drinking water is an increasingly important issue for the world's population; this applies not only to developing and emerging countries, but also to industrial nations. According to a recent UN environmental report, freshwater quality has deteriorated in most regions since 1990. Polluted drinking water spreads dangerous substances such as drug residues, hormones, pesticide and antibiotic residues as well as other toxic substances. These are also often not collected or filtered out by sewage treatment plants and public drinking water treatment plants. Therefore, effective and cost-effective technologies for wastewater treatment must reach many more people worldwide.
From the development of our first Alb filter in 2013 until today, the concept has been continuously improved and the application possibilities of our filters have been continuously expanded. Installed in front of a faucet or shower hose, they protect highly efficiently and without chemicals against pollutant residues and pathogens, turbidity and taste.
Today the Alb Filter is a real all-rounder. The modular design of our different cartridges allows us to meet the different needs and applications of our customers - whether for personal hygiene or drinking water, whether at home or on the road - Alb filters are a safe companion everywhere.
Sustainability and resource protection
But not only the quality of drinking water is important to us. Alb Filter's philosophy also includes offering an attractive alternative to drinking water in (plastic) bottles in order to reduce plastic waste.
In addition, we want to manage our company in a way that conserves resources and is sustainable. That is why our high quality filter housings are made of stainless metal. In order to reduce the amount of plastic waste, we will soon switch the production of all our filter cartridges completely to housings made of compostable bioplastics.
With the goal of sustainability and highest precision we rely on experienced partners from the region in development and production. Hand in hand with CNC lathes, metal finishing manufacturers, laser engraving technicians and plastics technicians on the Swabian Alb, we manufacture our Alb filters for Germany and the whole world.
Quality and precision 'Made in Germany'.
Alb Filter - At a glance (History)
2019
- The housing and mounting caps of all filter cartridges will in future be injection moulded from sustainable bioplastics. This further reduces the use of petroleum-based plastics - an important step towards a future with less plastic waste.
- Alb Filter Duo is launched on the market.
- Alb Filter cooperates with the environmental organization One Earth - One Ocean e.V., which removes plastic waste from water bodies worldwide. For every Alb eco cartridge sold, Alb Filter donates a percentage to the environmental organisation.
2018
- Alb Filter eco is the company's first fully compostable filter cartridge made from biopolymers based on the plant substance lignin to be launched on the market this autumn.
- Alb Filter receives project-related funding from the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs for the use of degradable bioplastics in the serial production of its product portfolio.
- Connection sets for motorhomes and caravans are offered.
2017
- In cooperation with a renowned filter manufacturer, the Alb Filter Active and Active Plus+ filter cartridge solution was developed and perfected from a coconut-based sintered activated carbon block. The inner surface of the activated carbon corresponds approximately to the surface of a football field and therefore has a lot of absorption area to retain or bind pollutants, germs and bacteria.
- With the help of a sales partner, the first bulk order is placed for the market launch in Egypt.
2016
- Planning and development of the first water filter completely developed in Germany. The idea behind this was to attach a filter directly to the end points of the fittings.
- Production of the prototype filter housing on the Swabian Alb.
- Launch of today's Alb Filter under a different name. At the beginning with a filter insert for the shower and drinking water.
2015
- Expansion of the business field to include osmosis systems, hoses and inline filters. The current range includes around 300 different filters, housings and small parts.
2014
- Start of sales of water filter systems for wells and cistern applications.
2001 - 2013
- Driven by the poor water quality of their student dormitory, the three founders had the idea to deal with drinking water treatment and water filters already during their studies. Tobias Müller had also been in contact with water filtration technology since 2001 when he studied physics at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology: KIT. They started their new business under the name BWF.
