Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

BPA is a chemical and is mainly used in plastics. There are numerous discussions in America about this substance being in plastic and aluminum drinking bottles. With stainless steel products from Retulp, there is no such discussion. These are made completely BPA-free, the caps are BPA-free and the organic water bottle is also BPA-free.

Retulp has its own web shop and we are proud that our bottles and thermos cups are available at over 150 stores. An overview of where the bottles are available can be found here.

Retulp bottles can be ordered through the consumer webshop.

Products from Retulp can be ordered unprinted by Retailers at low purchase prices, but only from a minimum order of 24 pieces.

Companies can have bottles printed. The minimum order is 48 pieces. Please let us know at customize@retulp.nl.

Customized products can be ordered from Retulp with a purchase of 48 pieces or more. Would you like your logo or a fun custom print on our drinkware or lunchware? Let us know at customize@retulp.nl.

How nice that you want to continue telling our story! We would like to help you with this by providing Retulp bottles and thermos cups. Because we receive a lot of requests for sponsorship, we choose the partnerships that really fit Retulp. We only choose those requests that bring us a little closer to our mission of reducing disposable plastic.

Please note: Retulp is a (growing) start-up so we can only sponsor an occasional project and at most provide 10 - 50 Retulp bottles or thermos cups. In fact, we already have some established initiatives (water donation developing countries and environmental causes) to which we provide our support structurally. To determine what are suitable activities for our sponsorship, we look at two things:

1. Does this activity contribute to our mission against disposable plastic?
2. Retulp focuses mainly on companies, is the target group we reach business and broad enough?

Are you sure you meet our requirements for sponsorship and would like to submit a sponsorship request? Then send an email with sufficient information (event, purpose, date, target group) to: info@retulp.nl, and mention the number of bottles you would like to receive from us. We will respond within a week. Please also indicate what media attention you can give us in return; for example:

- Advertising space in online publications;
- Advertising space, logo display or a banner on the website;
- Social media coverage, including images and a tagged page;
- Fun inspirational blog post with coverage and mention of the sponsorship.

Retulp products are made to be enjoyed for a lifetime. Have you discovered a problem with your Retulp product? Then you're entitled to a six-month manufacturer's warranty valid from the date of purchase. But what is not covered by the warranty:
* General wear and tear such as scratches & dents
* Damages caused by unusual cleaning/maintenance. (The bottle has been damaged by the dishwasher or stored in the freezer).
* Disassembly, modifications by third party. (Products printed or engraved afterwards).

To qualify for warranty, please contact retail@retulp.nl Please include the following in this email:
- Order number
- Proof of purchase from Retulp webshop or BOL.com
- If you purchased the Retulp product from another shop/webshop then the warranty procedure is via that shop/webshop
- Describe the problem you are experiencing + pictures

Our team will contact you within 3 working days!

Last year we had no complaints about the drinking bottles themselves, but occasionally something happened to the drinking cap because it consists of several parts. A part can get lost or even damaged. Retulp provides resellers with spare parts. Has a part been lost or damaged? With the spare parts in our webshop you extend the life of your product in a sustainable way.

How annoying that there is a complaint about your Retulp drinking bottle. Retulp is only manufacturer and designer of the drinking and thermos bottles and therefore we refer you to the store where you bought your bottle with proof of purchase.

Scratches and dents from dropping or normal use that do not affect the use or safety of the bottle are not eligible for warranty. We take pride in our product quality and stand behind what we make, but bottles remain articles of use. So keep in mind that wear and tear such as scratches may occur on the coating and imprint on your stainless steel bottle with normal use. Cleaning your bottle in a dishwasher may cause the coating to come off or the cap to fail. This is due to the temperature of the dishwasher. For this reason, we do not recommend using a dishwasher and it is not covered by the warranty. In addition, the use of carbonated beverages in a Retulp bottle is at your own risk. Retulp bottles are guaranteed for a maximum of six months. This warranty is at all times assessed by one of the resellers or employees of Retulp.

That would be hugely annoying if there is a complaint about a Retulp drinking bottle, but problems are there to be solved. Retulp is a supplier/manufacturer of drinking bottles and consumers should contact the point of sale where the drinking bottle was purchased for returns or refunds. For resellers, spare parts are available for troubleshooting.

See contact form or send an email to info@retulp.nl so we can send our product overview and prices.

Should your customer discover a defect in one of our drinking bottles, it will be about a drinking cap. It could be that the consumer drops the bottle and drink cap breaks or they lose a part of the drink cap or there is a manufacturing defect in the drink cap. As a store you can then give the consumer another cap free of charge, if you do not have one in stock then it is best to take a cap off another bottle. With a next order at Retulp we will send new drinking caps (free of charge).

Customized products can be ordered from Retulp from 48 pieces and delivery time is approximately 2 weeks.

For companies looking for innovative eco-relational gifts, Retulp offers customized solutions. Whether it is a Christmas gift, thank you gift, welcome gift, staff gift or merchandise, with a product from Retulp you give a meaningful gift with a clear message: A sustainable product for a sustainable relationship!

Get the Retulp bottles printed with your logo or a personal message. As early as 12 pieces. You don't have to wait long in suspense to see what your printed bottle will look like: request a digital proof, and 12 hours later you'll have an answer. And Retulp likes to surprise customers with personal service and quality products, but not with extra costs. If you request a quote, you will immediately receive an overview of the final total cost.

No setup costs, packing costs or shipping costs! We work with clear all-in prices so you will not encounter unforeseen surprises. All prices are excluding VAT. There are also tax benefits when giving business gifts, more information on this below:

Free space work expense scheme 2024
You may give untaxed allowances, the total amount must remain under the free space. This is calculated with the salary sum of all your employees together. The work-related costs scheme (also known as WKR) is a scheme that allows you to spend part of the total fiscal pay (called free margin) on untaxed allowances and reimbursements (e.g. Christmas hampers) for staff, on which no payroll tax has to be paid. There are no conditions for spending within the free space. As of 2024, the free allowance in the WKR will be increased from 1.7% to 1.92%. In 2023, this will even be increased once to 3%. This means that in 2023, based on a wage bill of € 400,000, the free space will be increased to € 12,000, and in 2024 to € 7,680.
Income tax Christmas package employees

In income tax (IB) and corporate income tax (VPB), the cost of a Christmas package for your employees is fully deductible. Note that you do pay a final levy of 20% for a Christmas package under € 70.00. Suppose the employer annually deposits € 1,000.00 in the pot of the staff association, the employees also put in € 1,000.00 and of the € 2,000.00 a party is given. The deposit is then not wages, is deductible from profits and there is therefore no problem. The condition is that the employees who participate have donated at least as much as the employer over the last five years.

Basically, your business associate has to pay income tax on the gift. If you give the gift simultaneously and for the same occasion to your own employees as well, you can choose to assume the tax due as final tax. This is subject to the special rate of 45% (up to a value of €136.00). For more expensive gifts, the rate is even 75%. Here too, a maximum of € 272.00 applies, otherwise it can no longer be a final taxable income and the relation must pay the tax themselves.

Stainless steel bottles are made of 18/8 stainless steel (18% chromium and 8% nickel). It is an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic. These bottle are lightweight and is 100% recyclable. 18/8 stainless steel is a high quality stainless steel and is used in kitchens and hospitals because it is easy to maintain, hygienic and safe for health. In addition, it does not require internal coating as is sometimes the case with aluminum bottles. With stainless steel, there are no unpleasant odors or weird tastes, as these cannot adhere to the bottle.

If we want to solve the plastic crisis, we must get rid of the disposable culture. Yet companies with plastic-shine solutions perpetuate this culture. The real solution is packaging that is refillable or reusable. Reclycling, Bio plastics and paper instead of plastic are sham solutions.

The stainless steel bottles are produced in China from as much recycled steel as possible. The manufacturers of the stainless steel bottle are carefully selected. Retulp makes every effort to have the bottles produced in a safe and sustainable way. Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to have stainless steel bottles produced in Europe.

We are sorry you are experiencing leakage. Leakage can occur due to normal wear and tear of materials. Here are simple steps to solve the problem:

Check the seal: See if the silicone seal is intact. If it is damaged, order a replacement ring on our web shop.

Inspect the bamboo cap: Check the cap for cracks or damage. If you see damage, order a new cap.

Maintenance: Regular cleaning and maintenance of your bottle helps prevent leakage.

Replacement parts are available in our shop to maintain the durability of your bottle. Besides the fact that replacing parts is the most durable solution. It also ensures that you can enjoy your Retulp bottle even longer.

Stainless steel (SS) is a natural material. Due to intensive use or dropping, it is possible that the bottle dents (at the bottom). This is not a problem. You can try to dent it by using the back of a wooden spoon to push the dent back (from the inside).

Retulp 's products cannot go in the microwave or freezer, but they can go in the refrigerator.

The bottles/bidons can be filled with: (cold) drinks such as fruit juices, thick juice, milk, yogurt drink, ice cubes (then it stays nice and cool) or pieces of fruit (such as a slice of lime). With dairy products, however, it is important to clean the bottle well afterwards, especially the cap. We do not recommend putting carbonated beverages in your bottle because a lot of shaking or movement can increase the pressure. In addition, with the water bottles, the inside can become discolored from drinks other than water.

The following drinks/liquids cannotin the stainless steel drinking bottles: hot drinks (the bottle will become hot on the outside), alcoholic or fermented drinks (pressure can build up in the bottle), undrinkable or flammable liquids.

As long as the leak ring of the screw cap closes properly, it is waterproof. Tighten the cap properly and always wash the caps by hand and not in the dishwasher! For the caps with a drinking spout, we cannot guarantee that they will not leak. These caps can open (slightly) as soon as the lid or spout gets caught behind something. Retulp recommends that bottles with a drinking cap be transported "upright" as much as possible.

Before first use: rinse the bottle/bidon and cap(s) well in soapy water. Then wash the bottle/bidon by hand. The large opening allows easy access with a dishwashing brush. The rounded corners prevent dirt from being left behind.

Some bottles are dishwasher safe. The label on the bottle indicates whether it is dishwasher safe. Note: Due to the coating, this can only be done at low temperatures. To keep the bottle beautiful for as long as possible, Retulp recommends washing the bottles by hand as much as possible. The cap is not dishwasher safe. You can read the best way to clean the bottle here.

The biobased water bottle is manufactured in an environmentally friendly way and is made of at least 87% cane sugar and up to 13% regular PE plastic, which is BPA free. Less scarce fossil resources are used in production, but rather the renewable raw material sugarcane. When sugar cane grows, it absorbs a lot of CO2 and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. All processed materials are tested for food safety and comply with the latest European laws and regulations. They are also fully recyclable.

Where are the organic water bottles made?
The raw material comes from Brazil. The bio water bottles are produced in the Netherlands.

No bio-based bottles are hardly better for the environment than regular plastic bottles. The best and easiest way to do something for the environment is to drink tap water from a refillable drinking bottle. Prevention is far better than recycling or bio materials. The mission of Retulp is to promote recycling and not to promote use of bio materials. Although, of course, bio materials do have their side benefits.

Why aren't all bottles made of bio plastics?
There is a lot of confusion about biodegradable plastics and bioplastics. For example, Coca Cola's Plant Bottle is presented as sustainable packaging because it is 30 percent made from natural raw materials (sugar cane). Production requires less energy, but the bottles themselves are not biodegradable. Another objection is that the raw materials for bioplastics could also be used as food, and the establishment of plantations could contribute to further deforestation. So for disposable packaging, bioplastics are hardly a solution. For reusable Retulp bio water bottles, it is an excellent raw material with a slightly lower environmental impact as regular plastic. If you use the bio water bottles instead of disposable PET bottles with water then you are really doing something good for the environment. In addition, the big advantage of bio water bottles is that they do not taste or smell like plastic.

There have been all kinds of research and testing done on thermos flasks, and travel mugs. Some tests focus on ease of use, some focus on durability, and some focus again on how to clean them. It is difficult to name the best tested cup or drinking bottle. Below is an overview of tests from 2022, 2023 and 2024:

Test best coffee cups on the go
This test for sustainable coffee to go cups looked at the brands: Stanley, Retulp and Ecoffee.Read the attached test results of the coffee cups and decide which one is best for you!
https://koffiemachine.org/koffiebeker-to-go/

Test popular drinking bottles and thermos cups
Eight different drinking bottles were reviewed for this review. The brands tested are: Retulp RVS, Sigg drinking bottle, Camelbak water bottle, Dopper drinking bottle and the Bobble Infuse. https://outdooronly.nl/drinkflessen-test/

Test results research thermos cups obv reviews
Here research done obv reviews on BOL.com on the brands: Contigo, Tefal, Stelton, Retulp and Thermos.
https://koninginvandekeuken.nl/beste-thermosbeker/#:~:text=After%20full%20research%20is%20found%20to%20be%20a%20good%20option%20 

Test results coffee cup to go test December 2022
Based on these test results, we have compiled a top 5 with the best tested options at the moment. In it are: Best buy coffee mug to go, Best sustainable coffee mug to go, Best budget coffee mug to go, Best leak-proof coffee mug to go and finally Best designer coffee mug to go. The brands tested here are Volcan, Sip, Retulp and BeO. https://top-x.nl/beste-koffiebeker-to-go/

Test sustainable coffee cups on the go by Zero Waste
Zero Waste looked into it and did a test among some brands in sustainable coffee cups: Circular&Co - Circular coffee cup, Ecoffee Cup - Coffee cup made of bamboo, Weducer Cup - Coffee cup made of coffee grounds and the Retulp - Thermos cup made of recycled steel
https://www.vanafhier.nl/zero-waste/5x-duurzame-koffiebeker-go

Test all kinds of drinking bottles and thermos cups by Eco Today
Among other brands tested were Dopper drinking bottle 450 ml, CamelBak Drinking bottle 1.5 L, Kambukka Drinking bottle 1L, Klean Kanteen Drinking bottle Loopcap, Retulp Tumbler Thermos cup and the Mizu Drinking bottle M5 Stainless.
https://ecotoday.nl/duurzaam-cadeau/duurzame-drinkfles/

Top 10 reusable bottles according to sustainability compass
The great water bottle test helps find the thermo cup and water bottle that's right for you! See attached the top 10 reusable water bottles from the Sustainability Compass. Here is a comparison of brands such as Camelbag, Flaske, Retulp and KOR.
https://www.duurzaamheidskompas.nl/reviews/top10-herbruikbare-waterflessen/

Thermos bottles come in a variety of sizes. The larger the bottle, the more weight you have to carry. Buy a bottle with a capacity that is just enough for you. Of course, this depends on how long you will be hiking and how many people will be using the thermos. For a short train ride, a 350 ml thermos will suffice, and for a long mountain trek you might choose the XL 1200 ml Adventure thermos from Retulp. The most common size is a 500 ml bottle.

Of course, the drinking bottle or thermos must not leak. Nothing more annoying than coffee or tea among the stuff in your bag. Furthermore, ease of use is also an aspect to consider when buying. There are thermos bottles with a twist cap or with a push button. During a test of thermos flasks by the TV program Kassa a few years ago, it turned out that the traditional twist-top insulates better than the push-button. A push button, on the other hand, is more practical to use because you don't have to hold a loose cap while pouring.

The Fridgebag cooler bags are made of 100% RPP non-woven, they are made from recycled refrigerators.
The Mission Edition Cooler bags are made of high quality nylon, PEVA a layer of 3 mm foam.

The bags are water-repellent.

The cooler bags keep cool for up to a high of 8 hours. This does depend on conditions and whether you put in cooling elements.

The Fridgebag cooler bags cannot be machine washed, this is because they are made of 100% RPP non-woven, when this gets hot the fabric shrinks and thus the bag. Also the Mission Edition Cooler bags cannot be machine washed.

Prices depend on quantities, type of bottle and type of printing.
The all-in prices vary between €4 and €20 each. If you are interested in a minimum of 48 printed bottles, feel free to ask us for the detailed price list. Retulp works with all-in prices so there are no unexpected additional costs.

The start-up costs for bottle printing are very high which is why the minimum quantity is 48 pieces. The scales are per 48 because the bottles are packed in those numbers. We are currently working on being able to print smaller quantities as well for a reasonable price. Through our partner Graveertotaal.nl the bottles can already be engraved with a name or logo.

However, this is very rarely done because the cost of making a printed sample is comparatively very high. The (printing) machines that we use are made for larger quantities so that the adjustment costs are high. Logically, the costs for small numbers are also higher than for large numbers. If you would like a printed sample, the costs are between €150 & €200 ex VAT each. The costs depend on the bottle, printing technique and especially the number of printing colors. We always make a digital proof in advance, which is sufficient in most cases and gives a good idea of the final result.

You certainly can. We can provide samples of Retulp bottles free of charge. This can only be done per 3 or 5 bottles and works as follows:
- Indicate which bottle(s) you prefer and whether you want to receive 3 or 5 bottles. We will then send you 3 or 5 bottles that are most relevant to you;
- If you return them, we will not charge you anything (return shipping costs are for your own account if no order is placed);
- If you order more than 200 printed bottles, we will not charge for them and you may keep them;
- If you do not order or order less than 200 printed bottles and want to keep them, we will charge €34.50 or €47.50 for a package of 3 bottles or 5 bottles.

Most companies choose 1 color printing or laser engraving because it is cheaper but also because it is more stylish. A full color logo is nice to see from the giver (company) but the recipient who will use the bottle on a daily basis generally likes it better with a modest stylish print on his bottle.

Yes, if you email us a vector file (usually EPS or ai file) we will email you a free mock up within a day. If you then wish to make any changes we will send you another free revised digital mock up. If there are any additional adjustments required after that we will charge € 45 for it unless the order volume is above 192 pieces.

The average delivery time is 8 to 9 working days. The delivery time starts from the moment of approval of the final proof, order confirmation and when the invoice has been paid. Exceptions regarding the payment period in consultation.

Yes, you will receive them (usually) a day before the bottles are delivered. The bottles are always sent directly from our printing or engraving workshop. We then receive a track & trace of this on the day of shipment and forward it to the customer. So we cannot give an exact delivery date in advance, the average delivery time is 8 to 9 working days.

(Most) Retulp bottles are already individually packaged in a cardboard box with information about Retulp, the bottle and our mission. With Private Label, it is no problem to design and have your own packaging made. This involves quantities of 1000+ bottles where the packaging is manufactured directly at the factory and then used instead of "our" boxes. Delivery time with Private Label is about 5 months. We do have contact with companies in the packaging industry so if custom packaging is really desired and it is not about 1000+ bottles but about 500+ bottles, we can always look at the possibilities and costs.

The Retulp bottles as shown in the brochure and website are already in stock in certain colors in the Netherlands. It is not possible to get the entire bottle in your own PMS color. Printing the (company) logo in your own PMS is of course always possible. It is also possible to produce the Retulp bottles in your own PMS color at Private Label. This involves quantities of 1000+ bottles where the bottle is manufactured directly at the factory and then the desired PMS color is used instead of "our" colors. The delivery time for Private Label is about 5 months. Through a foreign partner we can make another model of stainless steel bottle in your own PMS color from 200 pieces and 10 days delivery time. Ask the custom team at customize@retulp.nl.

This is possible from 1000 pieces and up. We call this Private Label. This actually consists of two parts. One is customizing the well-known Retulp bottles. This means that the models we sell are central but that you yourself can specify the PMS color of the bottle, create your own packaging, add leaflets or hangtags, apply your own printing or engraving, etc. This is all for a competitive price but with a delivery time of about 5 months. The other option is to go for a totally different bottle. The bottles we have in our assortment are only a fraction of all the bottles we can make. So have you seen a bottle somewhere that you would like to customize or do you have your own bottle design in mind? Let us know at customize@retulp.nl.

The cap cannot be printed. This is because the caps already have our Retulp logo in the shape of the 2 water drops. However, it is possible to apply a solid high-quality doming sticker with your artwork and/or logo. The advantage of this doming sticker is that the artwork for this sticker can be in full color. No extra costs for multiple colors. Mail us for the correct additional prices if you want to combine this with a printing/engraving on the bottle. If you only want a doming on the cap and do not want to print on the bottle you can use the prices as in the price list.

The Retulp bottles already contain a small flyer with information about Retulp and the mission. With a minimum order of 200 pieces, it is possible to add a flyer at an additional cost of € 0.45 per piece. We can take care of this by contracting it out to a social workplace for extra costs. Another possibility is to put the flyers in the bottles yourself after receipt.

Yes we can. We call that White Label and you will not see Retulp on those products. We can supply a lot of sustainable eco business gifts starting at 500 pieces, so don't be afraid to ask us.

Yes we also have Lunchboxes, Foodcontainers and Lunchbags / Lunchwraps in the range. More information can be found on the website or can be requested at: customize@retulp.nl.

This is not a problem as long as they are full boxes and the color of the imprint does not change either. Example: 50x Black, 50x Green, 50x Blue & 50x Red Urbans with a white print is possible. If you would like 36 white ones as well, the printing color will have to be changed as well since white on white is not really visible. We do have to charge extra when there is a color change.

Yes this is possible through laser engraving or full color print at about € 2.50 per piece extra cost. It is necessary to provide the names in an Excel list. You can also specify the desired font. The names can be engraved with a maximum width of 3cm and can only be printed when the entire print is done by digital print.

This is possible from 200 pieces and additional cost of approximately € 1.50 per piece and we always want to think along. The higher the order, the greater the chance that this will succeed.

Yes, this is possible using a new digital printing method. Besides photos, logos consisting of multiple colors can also be printed. It is possible to print the bottle all the way around. To make the print even more elegant and durable, it is even possible to apply a glossy layer over it. The additional cost for this technique is € 2 per bottle.

The black and white Fusion bottles are limited edition and we have had a large quantity produced in 4 different models so we are offering these new Fusions at a lower price.

The prices listed are fixed prices and we can only give a discount if you help in a fun active way to spread our mission indisposable online. So if you have a nice idea about this let us know. And charities / foundations we can also help in many cases with reduced purchase prices.

We donate 1000 times the content per Retulp bottle to drinking water in developing countries. Example for the (small) Urban drinking bottle: Contents 500ml (0.5 liter) x 1000 = 500 liters per bottle. So when you order 200 of these Retulp bottles you already donate (500×200)= 100,000 liters of water.

Every customer who orders at least 200 bottles from us can receive a certificate from us showing how many disposables you have saved as a company and how much water you have donated to developing countries. We can make the certificate free of charge on request and send it to you as a PDF file. Nice to communicate both internally and externally.

There are many different calculations in circulation calculating the average number of bottles of water consumed per person. The number we calculate with is 166. So when you buy 1 bottle you already save 166 disposables. So when you order 200 of our Retulp bottles you already save (166×200)= 33,200 disposables.

Retulp was founded with one mission: to replace as many disposable products as possible with sustainable products We probably don't need to tell you that disposable plastic is unsustainable and largely ends up in our oceans. But did you know that only 5% of all plastic worldwide is recycled? That's because it's often economically unprofitable and because sorting plastic is difficult. So even recyclable plastic still sometimes ends up in the ocean. And it doesn't have to be that way! Retulp has the proof in the form of drinking bottles that are made to last: not a few months or a few years, no, forever. This is because the bottles are made of stainless steel, or stainless steel. From this versatile material you can make almost anything. So Retulp has a simple solution to the plastic problem: replace plastic bottles with durable stainless steel bottles and avoid some 20 million disposable bottles a year.

Reduce, Reuse, Retulp
For anyone who values sustainability, wants to contribute to a world where everyone has access to clean drinking water and where the oceans are free of plastic. Retulp drinking bottles you use for yourself, for each other and for the planet.

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 each other
For every bottle sold, 1,000 times its contents are 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.

Stores contribute by selling Retulp bottles and thermos cups. And companies help by ordering Retulp bottles with their logo and giving them away. We automatically donate 1000 times the content of the ordered bottle, via MadeBlue, to developing countries. You as a company will provide an alternative to disposable bottles with the Retulp bottles. Furthermore, we use the hashtag MissionIndisposable #MissionIndisposable in our (online) communications. The more companies use this and link the Retulp bottles to this by means of a post/photo, the better known it becomes!

Retulp supports the Plastic Soup Surfer, Sea First Foudation and By The Ocean We Unite projects and also works with Made Blue to provide clean drinking water in 3rd world countries.

As a consumer, you can help solve this problem with simple modifications. Share your knowledge with others on how to successfully deal with plastic waste, handle waste very carefully and avoid unnecessary waste. Retulp tips:
- Share what you know about the dangers of plastic waste with your friends and through your social networks. Make everyone aware that now is really the time for a serious and necessary change.

- Never leave (plastic) waste on the street. Plastic hardly decomposes. Once left in the environment, chances are that the waste will eventually end up in the sea via rainwater, sewers and rivers.

- Bring your own shopping bag when you go shopping.

- Recycle plastic packaging waste by separating it and presenting it to your local waste processor or municipality.

- At the supermarket, choose the least packaged alternative or the more recyclable packaging.

- Do not use cosmetic products that contain microbeads. Microbeads are microscopic pieces of plastic used in some cosmetic products such as scrubs, sunscreen and shampoo. These microplastics are so small that water purifiers cannot filter them out. Thus, microbeads easily enter the environment and the sea through our drainage systems. Download the Plastic Soup Foundation's "beat the microbead" app so you can check that the products you want to buy are safe for the environment.

- Don't leave litter lying around, pick it up neatly. Even if you are not the one who left the plastic waste on the street. After all, together we bear responsibility for keeping the environment clean.

- Also visit the local market instead of the supermarket. In markets you can buy products that are not packaged. Bring to the market your own bag.

Fake Solution: Recycling
Companies and governments are ramming recycling down our throats 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, recycling problems have been piling up. The main causes: the amount of waste plastic continues to increase, there is not enough recycling capacity and there is no control of the trade. Plastic therefore largely disappears in landfills or into the environment. Just because something is recyclable does not mean it will be recycled. More than 90% of all plastic produced is never recycled. When plastic does get recycled, it is usually "downcycled. It is continually converted into a lower quality product until it still ends up in the incinerator.

So what should be done?
The underlying problem is our disposable culture. We use a plastic container for a few seconds, while it is made to last for hundreds of years. If we really want to solve this problem, we need to look differently at how we supply and use products. Companies play a crucial role in this. They maintain the disposable culture by focusing on the above false solutions. While the real solution is at hand; packaging that is refillable or reusable.

Fake 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 nowhere near enough recycled paper to meet the huge demand. And so a huge amount of forest is being cut down around the world to produce packaging, tissues and toilet paper. If companies start replacing their plastic packaging with paper, the pressure on our forests will increase even more.

So what should be done?
The underlying problem is our disposable culture. We use plastic packaging for a few seconds, while it is made to last for hundreds of years. If we really want to solve this problem, we need to look differently at how we supply and use products. Companies play a crucial role in this. They maintain the disposable culture by focusing on the above false solutions. While the real solution is at hand; packaging that is refillable or reusable.

Appearance Solution: Bioplastic
Think of the crisp 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 these 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 as well.

So what should be done?
The underlying problem is our disposable culture. We use a plastic containers for a few seconds, while it is made to last for hundreds of years. If we really want to solve this problem, we need to look differently at how we supply and use products. Companies play a crucial role in this. They maintain the disposable culture by focusing on the above false solutions. While the real solution is at hand; packaging that is refillable or reusable.