Launching on Kickstarter last week, Soma is a new company out of San Francisco that aims to make Brita and other plastic water filters obsolete with their radical new design and 100 percent compostable filter.
Historically, Soma was a mystical drink able to help warriors overcome their fears in battle or poets to find their inspiration to create. Mike Del Ponte, co-founder and CEO, explains that his modern incarnation of Soma was born out of a desire to spread a new type of lifestyle, what he calls "Thirst for More." Del Ponte explains, "Household objects, as simple as they are, are thoroughly entrenched in the rituals of our daily lives. Because we interact with these objects so often, they have the power to reinforce positive behaviors like health, ecological awareness, and innovative thinking."
As one of their advisors, Eric Ryan, co-founder of Method points out, "One the hardest things to do is to combine great design and sustainability into a killer user experience, and that's what these guys have done."
When designing their carafe, Soma decided to bypass convention, strip away all unnecessary features (even the handle), arriving at a minimalist design even Steve Jobs would dig. The all-glass carafe has elegant curves resulting in a fluid and pristine aesthetic.
When it came to Soma's filter, the team searched far and wide for the perfect partner and eventually discovered the preeminent boutique water designer, David Beeman. Beeman, a water filtration expert with over 35 years of experience, created proprietary water formulas for Starbucks, Peet's, Keurig, The Coffee Bean, and other leading brands.
Setting itself apart from all other products in the industry, Soma's filter is made entirely of compostable materials. The carbon granules are derived from Malaysian coconut shells, the filter screens are vegan silk and the filter casing is constructed from plant-based PLA composite. In Beeman's words, "This entire filter is compostable. There's nothing else like it in the world." With tens of million petroleum-based plastic filters ending up in landfills every year, Soma helps eco-conscious consumers rest easy knowing their water filters can reverse this damaging trend.
The final interesting element of Soma's plan is their subscription service. Everyone knows that their filters are supposed to be changed periodically, but it's common that people will go 3-6 months without changing their filters. Few people know that doing so can have health consequences. When purchasing a Soma carafe, you sign up for a filter subscription, which guarantees new filters are delivered to your door every two months to keep your water fresh and healthy.