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 Retulp's stainless steel products, that discussion is not an issue. These are made completely BPA-free, the caps are BPA-free and the organic water bottle is also BPA-free.

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 like fruit juices, thick juice, milk, yogurt drink, ice cubes (then it stays nice and cool) or pieces of fruit (like a slice of lime). We do not recommend putting carbonated drinks in your bottle because a lot of shaking or movement can increase the pressure. In addition, with 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 securely 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 may open (slightly) as soon as the valve or spout gets caught behind something. Retulp recommends transporting bottles with a drinking cap 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: Because of the coating, this can only be done at low temperatures. To keep the bottle beautiful 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.

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 strange tastes, as these cannot adhere to the bottle.

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.

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).

It is true that the sports cap with drinking spout makes a slurping sound. This sound is caused by air entering the bottle through the cap. However, this air is necessary for the cap to work; if no air enters the bottle, it will suck vacuum and no water will come out.

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 sugarcane 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.

Previously it had the slogan "I'm green on it" however many commented that "I'm not plastic" is a better statement slogan. This is to emphasize that it is a bio-based water bottle to prevent single use plastic bottles. So as a user of this water bottle you are indicating that you are against (single use) plastic.

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 water bottle. Prevention is much better than recycling or bio materials. Retulp's mission is to promote recycling and not to promote the use of bio materials. Although, of course, bio materials do have their fringe benefits.

The raw material comes from Brazil. The organic water bottles are produced in the Netherlands.

There is much 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 bottles instead of disposable PET bottles with water, 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.

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 the 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.

Retulp has its own webshop 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.

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

Companies can have their bottles printed. The minimum order is 48 pieces. This is possible by contacting us or by designing your own bottle in our configurator.

Last year we had no complaints about drinking bottles themselves, although there were a few instances where 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. Is a part 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 carry a maximum one-year warranty. This warranty is reviewed at all times by one of Retulp's resellers or employees.

This 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 to solve problems.

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 the drinking cap breaks, or they lose a part of the drinking cap, or there is a production defect in the drinking cap. As a store, you can give the consumer a free alternative cap. If you do not have one in stock, the best thing you can do is collect a cap from another bottle. The next time you order from Retulp, we will send you a new (free) drink cap.

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

Prices depend on quantities, type of bottle and type of printing.
All-in prices range 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 would like 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 produce your own packaging. This concerns quantities of 1000+ bottles whereby the packaging is manufactured directly at the factory and is then used instead of 'our' boxes. The delivery time with Private Label is about 5 months. We do have contact with companies in the packaging industry so if you really want your own packaging 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 famous 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 surcharges 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.

Standard 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 outsourcing to a social work place for an additional cost. Of course another possibility is to put the flyers in the bottles yourself after receiving them.

Yes we can. We call that White Label and on those products there will be no further Retulp to see. We can supply many sustainable eco business gifts starting from 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.

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.

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

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

Retulp supports the Plastic Soup Surfer, Sea First Foudation and By The Ocean We Unite projects, as well as working 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 creating 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.

Customized products can be ordered from Retulp with orders of 48 or more.

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.

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.

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

Please note: Retulp is only 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 primarily targets businesses, is the target audience we are reaching 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.