PUR Water Filter Systems, from Helen of Troy Health and Home, officially launches in Canada today at an event featuring Dr. David Suzuki discussing the individual responsibility each Canadian has to the environment, and more specifically, water quality. PUR also launches its environmental stewardship and recycling program in conjunction with TerraCycle.   The next generation of PUR water filtration systems are certified to remove 99% of lead from drinking water. PUR launches two categories today as follows:   PUR Ultimate Pitcher Filtration System with Lead Reduction in 7-cup and 11-cup formats, plus respective filters. PUR pitchers are certified by WQA (Water Quality Association) to remove 14 contaminants including 99% of lead, 96% of mercury and 92% of certain pesticides, more than any other brand. 1 PUR Advanced Faucet Filtration System, plus respective filter. PUR faucet filters are certified to remove over 70 contaminants including 99% of lead, 96% of mercury and 92% of certain pesticides, more than any other brand. 1 PUR pitcher and faucet water filtration systems feature MAXION® Filter Technology; PUR's unique formulation approach for blending carbon and ion exchange materials for maximum contaminant reduction. PUR's water filtration systems are certified by both the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) and WQA to remove 99% of lead in drinking water.   "Drinking water takes a long journey when it leaves local treatment facilities and it's often not as clean once it gets to home faucets," advises Mr. Michael Mitchell, Director of Advanced Technologies for Helen of Troy Health and Home. According to Health Canada, Canadian Water Network and Canadian Water Quality Association, a majority of water infrastructures are aging and that increases the risk for contaminants such as lead, mercury, chlorine, pollutants, pesticides, and microbial cysts. 2,3,4   Kevin Wong, Executive Director of Canadian Water Quality Association confirms traces of these contaminants are found in regular municipal drinking water. "CWQA has been championing testing and establishing guidelines for safe drinking water with all levels of government for many years," said Mr. Wong.   MAXION® Filter Technology, empowers consumers to care for their water with an affordable solution (pitchers and faucet filtration systems) to provide healthier, great-tasting water and peace of mind. However, when it comes to the PUR Advanced Faucet Filtration system, it features PUR MineralClear®, which filters water over natural minerals for a crisp, refreshing taste, plus it removes 10x more contaminants than the leading brand water pitcher. 5   Mr. Mitchell concludes, "The MAXION filtration system is an industry leading technology that reduces contaminants that may be found in drinking water. For example, PUR's pitchers reduce 14 contaminants, and the faucet filtration systems reduce over 70 contaminants. Both the pitcher and faucet filter systems are certified to remove 99% of lead, plus the taste and odour of chlorine".   According to Dr. David Suzuki, it's becoming more important for the individual to care not only for the environment, but to take action on a personal level. Dr. Suzuki's latest research and work dedicated to the challenge of the 21st century and setting the bottom-line in the anthropocene, reveals that humans have a dependence on clean air and water, and that the web of all of life on earth is responsible for cleansing, replenishing and creating air and water amongst other factors.   PUR takes environmental stewardship very seriously, and in addition to creating an industry leading water filtration system, has gone one step further by partnering with TerraCylce, with a national recycling program, to help consumers reduce the impact of the water filtration system and product packaging on the environment. The PUR Recycling Program is open to any interested individual, school, office, or community organization. Participation is as easy as signing up on the TerraCylce website (www.terracycle.ca). Upon registering, TerraCycle then sends pre-paid shipping labels to the end user to send back waste, and uses it to up-cycle, recycle, and even creates art with it!