THE NETHERLANDS. Schiphol Airport Retail (SAR) and sustainable reusable water bottle retailer Dopper have teamed up to offer passengers free water from a new drinking station inside SAR’s flagship L2 store at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Beginning today, the move will prevent the sale of an estimated 750,000 single-use plastic water bottles every year.
The partners said they are “taking an important step in the fight against plastic pollution”, as SAR – which operates 12 stores at Schiphol – claims to be the first airport retailer in Europe to cease selling packaged water. Instead, the stores will sell Dopper’s premium reusable water bottles or alternatively travellers can bring their own bottles to the airport to use at the smart Dopper Water Tap.
SAR noted research that shows convenience as the main reason for buying single-use plastic water bottles. In addition, public water taps are perceived as hard to find and people see taps without a clear owner as unhygienic.
The smart Dopper Water Tap in SAR’s store is designed to change these perceptions and encourage the 70 million passengers that annually pass through the airport to use tap water. Dopper’s tap features a droplet-shaped interactive LED display, and with more than 200 different triggers, words and jokes, people are encouraged to refill their reusable bottle.
Among other features, the smart tap tracks how much water has been tapped, how many single-use plastic water bottles have been saved and how much CO2-emission has been prevented. Dopper makes the water tap points findable via Google Maps, creating a nationwide network of places where people can refill their reusable water bottle.
By banning single-use plastic water bottles and offering free tap water, SAR said it wants to make a clear statement and inspire other retailers.
Schiphol Airport Retail Deputy Managing Director/Head of Operations Martine De Lang said: “We want to encourage travellers to drink Dutch tap water and we have the ambition to use less single-use plastic.
“By installing the Dopper Water Tap and ending the sale of single-use plastic water bottles, we kill two birds with one stone: we encourage people to drink water, in a sustainable way.
“We Schiphol Airport Retail do this together with Dopper, a brand on a mission that has been successfully promoting the move towards reuse for years.”
Dopper CEO Virginia Yanquilevich said: “Bringing and refilling your reusable water bottle when you travel should be as common as taking your phone and passport, especially in the Netherlands, where clean drinking water comes straight from the tap.
“By installing the Dopper Water Tap and banning single-use plastic water bottles, SAR is not only making a clear statement, but also a huge impact by preventing the sale of almost 750,000 single-use plastic water bottles every year.
“Together, we’re taking a step towards making refilling the norm. We hope other retailers will follow SAR’s example.” 
