About our mission and cooperation with charities
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Info & Mission
To tackle the plastic soup at its source and reduce disposable packaging, we inspire people to use attractive reusable alternatives. Retulp is a sustainable Social Enterprise and founded in 2014 to carry out this mission. Between 2014 and 2024, Retulp donated an average of 38% of its profits to charity and spent the remaining 62% almost entirely on new waste prevention initiatives.
We have set ourselves a goal for 2025: to avoid 20 million disposable plastic bottles per year and to donate 20 million liters of drinking water to people who need it. In doing so, we are collaborating with a number of other charities:
World Wildlife Fund
As a business supporter of the WWF plastic free sea project, Retulp supports this mission financially. Read more
Club Kakatua
Together with Club Kakatua, Retulp will realize a trash barier in a river in Indonesia every year: Read more
Plastic Soup Surfer
Merijn Tinga, in his own great way, is fighting against disposable plastic. Here he hands over his book to our Coby. Continue reading
Made Blue Foundation
Over the past 8 years, Retulp has donated over 200,000,000 (!) gallons of clean drinking water to developing countries. Read more
Sea First Foundation
Founder Richard has been volunteering with SFF since 2015 and in addition Retulp occasionally donates products to this wonderful foundation. Read more
Regional cleanup efforts
Locally here in the Veluwe, we organize playful campaigns to combat litter and raise awareness. Read more
Clean oceans and drinking water for all
Retulp wants people to be environmentally aware and actively reduce single-use plastics and for everyone around the world to have access to safe drinking water. Our mission can be summed up in 2 words: Mission Indisposable. We are on a mission to make waste bins emptier. Recycling offers a little solution, deposit is better but prevention is the real solution. Reuse, Reduce, Retulp: the future is reusable.
Why: We unfortunately still see a lot of plastic in the seas and on the beaches, which has many adverse effects on humans and animals. We see it as our duty to contribute to clean waters, for everyone. Reduce
How: We donate 1000 x clean drinking water per product sold to developing countries which also prevents a lot of disposable packaging. We also build trasher bariers in Bali to prevent waste from entering the ocean. Reuse
What: We want to prevent single use plastic in the Netherlands and our neighboring countries by offering sustainable and reusable drinking & lunchware that lasts a lifetime. Retulp
Placing water points in developing countries
Together with the Made Blue Foundation, we are making a lasting impact to combat water scarcity. Not only water pumps are realized, but we also invest in the education of local residents so that they themselves can contribute to the maintenance of the water points. This is done as sustainably as possible. These water points also prevent people from buying water in plastic bottles, so this in turn reduces the amount of plastic waste that ends up in the environment.
With each project, we look in advance at how to ensure that our impact is lasting. For example, with each project we provide a maintenance committee with members from the local community, provide training and information. This way we have lasting impact and our projects are also sustainable because they prevent people from buying water in disposable plastic bags or having to boil contaminated water on an open fire.
What can you do to reduce disposable plastic and stop the plastic soup?
Like Retulp, support one of the above great initiatives to do something against the hugely increasing mountain of waste plastic. You can also easily take action against disposable plastic yourself.
Unfortunately, many companies come up with sham solutions so they can continue with "business as usual.
If we are to solve the plastic crisis, we must move away from the throwaway culture. Yet companies with plastic-shine solutions are perpetuating this culture. The real solution is packaging that is refillable or reusable. Recycling, bio plastics and paper instead of plastic are false solutions.
False Solution: Recycling
Companies and governments are pounding recycling into us as THE solution. Some of the plastic waste that citizens collect separately ends up in countries like Malaysia or - even within the EU - can end up in illegal landfills. There is hardly any recycling. Since China closed its gates to waste plastic imports in 2018, the problems around recycling have been piling up. The main causes: the amount of waste plastic continues to increase, there is too little recycling capacity and there are no controls on trade. Plastic therefore overwhelmingly disappears into landfills or the environment. Just because something is recyclable doesn't mean it will be recycled. More than 90% of all produced plastic is never recycled. When plastic does get recycled, it is usually "downcycled. It is continually transformed into a lower quality product until it ends up in an incinerator.
False Solution: Paper
McDonalds replacing its plastic straws with paper straws, clothing stores giving you a paper bag instead of a plastic bag; more and more companies are replacing their disposable plastic products with paper. There is not nearly enough recycled paper to meet the enormous demand. And so a huge amount of forest is cut down worldwide for the production of packaging, tissues and toilet paper. If companies start replacing their plastic packaging with paper, the pressure on our forests will increase even more.
False Solution: Bioplastic
Think of the crinkly bags around organic peppers that say it's compostable, or Coca-Cola's "plant bottle. But what exactly is bioplastic? Bioplastics are plastics made from natural raw materials, such as corn, while 'regular' plastic is made from oil. And some of those bioplastics are compostable. But even compostable bioplastics only break down under the right (industrial) conditions. In nature, bioplastics behave just like 'regular plastic'. A turtle chokes on it just the same.
So what should be done?
The underlying problem is our disposable culture. We use a plastic package for a few seconds, when it is made to last for hundreds of years. If we really want to solve this problem, we need to start looking differently at how we deliver and use products. Companies play a crucial role in this. They keep the disposable culture going by relying on the above-mentioned false solutions. While the real solution is at hand; packaging that is refillable or reusable.
As consumers, we can address this problem, tips:
- Conserve: buy only what you really need.
- Buy quality products with a very long lifespan.
- Do not buy bottled spring water but drink tap water,
- Use reusable water bottles, drinking mugs, plates and cutlery.
- Bring your own shopping bag when you go shopping.
- Do not use cosmetics that contain microbeads.
- Don't leave litter lying around, help clean it up.
- At local markets, you can buy products that is not packaged.
FOR YOURSELF
A stylish bottle without toxins. Retulp bottles are BPA-free, easy to clean and available in all sizes and colors, so there's always a bottle to suit you.
FOR ALL
For every bottle sold, 1,000 times its content is donated to drinking water through Made Blue. Because everyone has a right to clean drinking water. And clean drinking water nearby also means: less (lugging around) plastic bottles.
Liters of water donated: 200,000,000
Disposable bottles saved: 200,000,000
FOR THE PLANET
As a business supporter of the World Wildlife Fund, Retulp says it is committed to a plastic-free sea. So as a customer of Retulp, you are directly investing in a world with clean oceans.
The core values and faces of Retulp
We want to protect people and the environment from pollution by single-use plastics. To tackle the plastic soup at source and reduce single-use plastics, we inspire with attractive reusable alternatives. In our work we are guided by the following core values.
Targeted
Work hard Play hard is our culture, because of our no-nonsense attitude and goal orientation we keep time for fun things.
Innovative
We speak to our customers and partners frequently and thus constantly ensure innovation in our offerings.
Conserve
Buying quality products and thus preventing waste is much, much better than recycling. We choose Real Sustainability!
Richard, Founder of Retulp
Favorite Retulp Product: My choice is the new Mission Edition to-go thermos cups. These ocean blue, practical thermos fit my practical and purposeful nature and love of travel.
Most Fulfilling Aspect of Work: The most fulfilling aspect of my work is our collaboration with charities. This year I was particularly proud of our contribution to creating a "trash barrier" with Club Kakatua Foundation and our collaboration with WWF-NL to keep the oceans plastic-free. In addition, donating over 20 million liters of drinking water through Made Blue Foundation is a highlight.
Personal Sustainable Habits: Since setting up Retulp, I mainly use bicycle or public transportation. If I must use the car, I always combine several appointments in one day to save time and fuel.
Importance of Reusable Products: My message on the impact of reusable products is: relax buy less and drink more tap water. If you buy something, make sure it is a high quality sustainable product that lasts a long time.
Michel, Commercial Manager at Retulp
Personal Choice in Retulp Products: Depending on the activity, I choose the TravelCup or Tumbler for travel, and the handy Click&Go thermos cup for sports.
Inspiring Collaboration: The long-term partnership with SKSG Childcare has inspired me most in the area of sustainability. Their choice of several sustainable end-of-year gifts from Retulp, such as Tumblers and customized Fusion sports bottles, reflects their commitment to quality and the environment.
Advice in Personalization: I recommend engraving for its durability and elegant look, especially on stainless steel products. However, with advances in digital printing techniques, full-color printing all around is now also an excellent choice. This method offers unlimited possibilities, from complex designs to adding personalized names.
Impact of Reusable Products: The most important thing I want people to understand about reusable products is the quick payback. Despite a higher purchase price, a reusable item quickly pays for itself with regular use.
Coby, account manager & product developer at Retulp
Inspiration for Working at Retulp: My passion for the environment and the impact of the plastic problem on our planet inspired me to work at Retulp. Having traveled extensively, I wanted to actively contribute to a better world, both personally and professionally.
Favorite Product: My favorite Retulp product is the Tumbler thermos. Perfectly sized with a built-in tea filter, ideal for fresh tea.
Client Experience: A special experience was with Animal Rights Foundation. As a vegetarian and animal lover, this application touched me personally and it was great to support an organization that shares my personal values.
Sustainability Inspiration: When it comes to sustainability, I admire Merijn Tinga, the Plastic Soup Surfer. His positive, athletic approach to the plastic problem is inspiring, especially his efforts to influence the public as well as politics and business.
Green Tip: My green tip is simple: buy fruits and vegetables at the market without plastic packaging. This not only saves money but also reduces waste. Walking instead of driving and spending less time on your phone that saves energy and stimulates your creativity.
Dennis, Commercial Associate at Retulp
Inspiration at Retulp: Dennis finds the partnership with the Made Blue Foundation most inspiring because of its direct impact on providing clean drinking water.
Favorite Retulp product: The Retulp Travel Cup has made the biggest impression on him as a sustainable alternative to cardboard coffee cups, in line with his work around the new SUP legislation.
Choice of Graduate Internship: Dennis chose to intern at Retulp because of their sustainability initiatives, competitive and entrepreneurial culture, and proximity to his home in Apeldoorn.
Focus during Graduation: His research focuses on the impact of SUP legislation on the Retulp market, with the goal of countering single use plastic and promoting sustainability.
Description of the Retulp team: "A young, entrepreneurial and down to earth team."
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