SHRED HOOKUPS PROFILE: MEET LifeStraw

How did LifeStraw get its start? What was the inspiration behind LifeStraw?
The inspiration behind LifeStraw was the concept of providing an individual in a developing country or natural disaster affected region with a year of safe drinking water via a low cost, personal water filtration straw. The first LifeStraw was the LifeStraw Guinea Worm Filter introduced in 1996, which has been instrumental in the near eradication of the Guinea worm disease.

Since then, we have developed a range of products for water filtration and purification . The technology we use has been time-tested in some of the harshest environments and humanitarian emergencies since then. Today LifeStraw is used in 64 countries and includes filters and purifiers for households, clinics, schools, and for outdoor recreation, travel and everyday hydration. All our products meet the highest EPA and World Health Organization standards.

At LifeStraw we focus on the innovation of technology that converts microbiologically contaminated water into safe drinking water with products that are designed to fit the needs of the people that use them. We are dedicated to improving the health and quality of life for people, many of whom live in developing countries.

Talk to us about Follow the Litres?
The LifeStraw Follow the Liters program was developed to address the need for sustainable access to safe water at schools in developing communities where lack of safe water access causes illness. Students in these developing communities regularly miss school due to these waterborne illnesses. In fact, UNICEF Kenya has found that a comprehensive program of clean water in schools can result in a 42% reduction in absenteeism.

LifeStraw Community, which is the product used for the Follow the Liters campaign, removes up to 99.9999% of bacteria, 99.999% of viruses, 99.99% of protozoan parasites, and it can serve up to 100 individuals per day. Furthermore, it doesn’t require electrical power, batteries or replacement parts and has a lifetime filtration capacity of 70,000-100,000 liters, which is about three to five years.

What separates LifeStraw from other brands?
Our products were invented for the public health market, and as such they have been certified and tested to the highest standards available. Our products are designed to be extremely long lasting and durable, while offering state of the art filtration technology. Beyond product, our business model of “Profit for a Purpose”, gives back by providing safe drinking water to those in need.

Why did LifeStraw decide to team up with Canada Snowboard?
We love supporting high performing athletes in North America, as they strive to achieve their goals. We believe that safe drinking water is a critical part of any training program. Using LifeStraw products will help keep athletes safe & healthy while competing at home and abroad.

Why did LifeStraw decide to get involved with Shred Hookups?
Pros should get Pro deals! We want to get our products into the hands of power users for their feedback, as it’s incredibly valuable to us.

What’s next for LifeStraw?
We are on track to hit 1,000,000 students provided with safe drinking water by 2018, which is really exciting for us.

On the retail front, we will be unveiling an ambitious collection of category-expanding water filtration products designed for diverse consumer uses. These will be premiered at the annual Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in July and available in time for holiday gift sales.

Want to get one? Join our Shred Hookups program today and get discounts on LifeStraw products and a number of other brands - exclusive to Canada Snowboard members.

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